ESSEX'S ambulance service is under "extreme pressure" with long queues forming outside hospitals as patients are urged to only call in "life-threatening" situations.
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust today released a statement revealing many of its ambulance have been delayed outside hospitals.
EEAST has struggled to cope with demand so far this year, with regular reports of long queues of ambulances outside Southend Hospital’s A&E department.
A spokesman for the trust said: "Our service is under extreme pressure with many ambulances delayed outside hospitals and high call volumes.
"To help us respond effectively we have increased our escalation state across the trust.
"We urge the public to support us by using our service wisely and only calling for life-threatening illness or injuries."
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) will devolve powers within the service to a sub-county level from November.
The trust, formed in 2006 following the merger of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, East Anglia and Essex ambulance services, has taken the moved to alleviate pressure on the service.
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