Many patients waited more than five hours in Southend's Accident and Emergency department as the seasonal rush reached its peak.

Health chiefs at the hospital estimate more than 30 per cent of cases than normal for this time of year have come through their doors seeking medical attention.

A spokesman for Southend Hospital said: "It has been an extremely busy Christmas.

"Frail people's symptoms have been exasperated by the cold weather. There have been some very long waits in the A&E Department over Christmas."

While Southend Hospital is not blaming a flu epidemic, Essex ambulance service fears a tide of the illness in the north of the county could be sweeping south.

Patients at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, have waited up to 12 hours to be seen while Essex Ambulance says it is receiving about 80 additional calls a day.

Nick Booth, assistant divisional commander for Essex Ambulance, said: "We have been extremely busy with a flu epidemic. It had started in the north of the country but it has now hit us quite badly.

"A lot of people have been calling us, maybe because they cannot get hold of their doctor. We are receiving about 80 additional calls a day."

Demand for GPs was so great that a 67-year-old cancer patient had to wait for seven and a half hours to be visited when his wife rang Health Call - a stand-in service for family doctors.

Eileen Watson of St John's Road, Hadleigh, said that by the time a doctor came out, all the chemists had shut and her husband, Donald, was unable to get his medication.

Mrs Watson said: "I think seven and a half hours is unacceptable, but I'm sorry for the doctors as well. The man who came out was just as sorry about the delay as we were."

Steven Lamb, regional manager of Health Call in Westcliff, said there had been delays over the Christmas period but they had done everything possible to ensure nobody was kept waiting longer than necessary.

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