Basildon Hospital has declared an internal critical incident due to the lack of beds.

After more than a week on ‘black’ alert, the trust has been unable to discharge enough patients to meet the demands of new patients arriving in A&E.

An internal critical incident is a step up from ‘black’ alert and it is a very unusual step for the trust.

By moving to a critical incident, significant amounts of elective work has been cancelled, outpatient clinics could be cancelled, non-clinical staff are being asked to support wards.

Tom Abell, deputy chief executive, said: “This has been a difficult decision to make. We are well versed in responding to peaks in demand and our dedicated staff rise to the challenge, sometimes working extra hours, sometimes taking on different roles.

“However, the current waiting times for patients in A&E are unacceptable. Despite our best efforts, we simply cannot balance the number of very sick people we already have in our beds with the extra people arriving in A&E, so we need to do something different.

“I would like to ask the public for their understanding and cooperation. If you have an upcoming appointment at Basildon or Orsett Hospital, please arrive as planned unless you are contacted and told otherwise.”