Alarming pictures show dozens of ambulances queuing at a hospital and patients waiting on the pavement outside a packed A&E.
Photos of the emergency vehicles were taken outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital which is struggling to cope with soaring demand.
One patient counted 25 ambulances and emergency vehicles on Tuesday (3/8) and 22 people lined up outside A&E waiting for treatment.
They said: “Everyone knows the health service is under enormous strain but to see people queuing up outside for emergency treatment was horrifying.
“Ambulances were stacked up bumper to bumper, most had patients in the back while others were just empty but stuck in the jam.
“Nobody is blaming the doctors and nurses who have done a superhuman job during the pandemic but something must be done to help clear the backlog.”
A shocking 51,000 patients in Worcestershire are waiting for treatment – a four per cent jump in just one month.
Covid
The backlog, which has been caused by resources being used in the fight against coronavirus, includes cancer patients waiting more than three months for an appointment.
Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust urged people to think twice before arriving at hospital or dialling 999.
Chief Executive Matthew Hopkins said: Our Emergency Departments are very busy now, with patient numbers well above what we were seeing this time two years ago.
“Caring for so many people while also making sure that we protect our patients and staff from the risk of Covid-19 infection is a significant challenge, but one that our dedicated staff are rising to.
“Teams across our two Emergency Departments, GP surgeries, community nursing and social care have been working incredibly hard to ensure patients receive appropriate and safe care throughout one of the most challenging periods in the history of the NHS.
We would urge the public to contact NHS 111, either online or by calling 111 to receive free urgent care advice before attending our A&E department, and to only use 999 in a life-threatening emergency.
“Please also remember you can seek help from a local Minor Injury Unit (MIU) for a variety of injuries including wounds, sprains, strains and minor burns with much shorter waiting times.”
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