We hear the horror stories every day - patients “stuck” in ambulances just yards from A&E because the pressure on our creaking NHS is so great.

The problem appears to be worsening as hard-working, committed NHS staff deal with a surge in demand which has even prompted the ambulance service serving south Essex to declare critical incidents.

The historic issue of “bed blocking” - patients medically fit to go home but with no support package at home - is one issue.

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Relentless pressure caused by ever-growing demands on staff is another. Both combine to create a “perfect storm” for the NHS.

In south Essex, patients are experiencing some of the worst handover times from ambulance to hospital in the country, as fears are raised the pressure on the NHS is “equivalent” to the early stage of the pandemic.

Last week, 46 per cent of Mid and South Essex NHS Trust patients waited more than an hour to be handed over, according to the latest figures.

Only three NHS trusts had worse figures, among all of those reporting at least 500 ambulance arrivals over the week.

Southend West Tory MP Anna Firth admits that residents “deserve better” - but patients have pointed the finger at years of Government cuts.

Ms Firth said: “Clearly there is a lot more to do to improve the ‘flow’ of patients through the hospital, however, both the hospital management along with East of England Ambulance Service are innovating in difficult circumstances.”

She added: “Having recently visited the hospital I have absolutely no doubt that all the staff are working extremely hard in challenging circumstances.”

A spokesman for campaign group Save Southend NHS replied that only better funding can help provide the necessary staffing and resources to unblock beds and reduce hospital congestion.

The group also believes investment is needed to boost out-of-hospital care options, so patients can be moved into other care settings to free up beds.

They said: “Financial cuts over a number of years mean that East England Ambulance Service Trust and Southend Hospital have been starved of resources. We need to see immediate increases in funding, year on year, to get our NHS back to safer levels.”

In November, a new £250,000 ambulance handover unit was opened at Southend Hospital following months of reports of patients waiting as long as 12 hours to be handed over.

The unit, which has space for 12 patients, is designed to allow ambulances to get back on the road and attend other emergencies.

But the hospital continues to struggle with high demand, with bosses saying staff are working hard to address the issue.

“Our hospitals continue to experience extremely high demand for their services, with many arriving at A&E by ambulance, reflecting just how busy local NHS and social care providers are. Staff working very hard to support patients and ambulance handovers,” a spokesman said.

“A&E and waiting time pressures are just one element of the wider local health picture, which is why we are working together across health and care to respond to this higher demand for services, so that we can provide the best possible care.”

The current delays in emergency care are causing an estimated 500 deaths each week caused by delays in emergency care, Ian Higginson, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, has said.

The pressure on the NHS is “equivalent” to that of the early stage of the pandemic, Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said.

Whatever the situation, patients want - and need - answers. How will this situation improve?