Patients have been warned to stay away from an Essex hospital unless they are suffering an emergency.
The accident and emergency department Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford is reported to be facing “sustained pressure” due to an overload of patients.
People have been reminded to make use of 111, their GPs and pharmacies for non-urgent illnesses and injuries to relieve the pressure.
It is not known what is causing the extreme numbers.
Many patients at the Chelmsford hospital are thought to be experiencing long waiting times to be seen because of the influx, with doctors and nurses being stretched while they deal with the numbers.
The hospital has also taken to Twitter to remind would-be patients to go elsewhere if their need is not urgent.
Broomfield Hospital is the main site for Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, which employs more than 4,000 staff and serves a population of around 370,000 people.
The East Anglian Daily Times has approached the hospital for comment.
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