COLCHESTER'S Accident and Emergency Department experienced its busiest ever day on Monday.

Hospital board members were told yesterday 335 people arrived for treatment and only ten of those were not seen within four hours.

That was despite there being fewer doctors than normal.

Trust chief executive Nick Hulme said part of the success of the smooth-running was down to the expertise of staff working.

"There was an exceptional middle grade GP on.

"We haven't got any more staff or beds but we have got people focused on what's really important. I think that is what has made the biggest difference."

Trust chairman David White said the board should write a letter congratulating all staff in the Emergency Department.

Traditionally Mondays are the busiest day for such departments as patients tend to avoid going to A&E at weekends.

Nationally hospitals are ordered to see 95 per cent of patients arriving to A&E within four hours.

Colchester has previously struggled to meet the target but the meeting heard last month the percentage was just under 93 per cent, which Mr White described as "unprecedented".

He added: "We are giving patients a much better service now at a time when demand is increasing."

Last week the hospital said the four-hour figure for March was 95.4 per cent meaning it met the national target for seeing patients for the first month since records began.

But that figure was boosted because it includes patients who also visited north Essex’s minor injury units at Clacton and Harwich, as well as the walk-in centre in Turner Road, Colchester.

Ambulance handovers at Colchester Hospital are at their highest in the region, the meeting was told.