The East of England Ambulance Service had more than 400 calls waiting  at times over the weekend, national media has reported.

Ambulances were queueing outside Watford General Hospital as the service came close to declaring a major incident - and one Observer reader claimed they had to wait 22 hours.

The trust (EEAST) - which covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk – says it moved to “major incident standby” on Saturday faced with ambulances queuing to drop off patients and high 999 demand.

EEAST now says that it is working closely with the West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and other partners to “speed up handover delays”.

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A spokesperson for the West Herts trust, which runs Watford Hospital, explained that like many hospitals across the country, it experienced a “busy weekend with ambulances queuing”.

The trust said: “The situation remains challenging, but we are working in partnership with East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust to ensure patients are handed over as quickly as possible to release crews back to the community.”

Watford Observer: The East of England Ambulance Service is close to declaring a major incidentThe East of England Ambulance Service is close to declaring a major incident (Image: Web)

Shaun Lintern, health editor at The Sunday Times, reported that EEAST was struggling across all areas it covered, as there were times 400 callers waited for a response.

An EEAST spokesperson said that the NHS is facing “incredibly high demand” caused by lengthy handover delays and 999 demand.

Days after announcing the situation, the EEAST remains on standby for a major incident.

Anyone requiring medical attention is reminded only to call for an ambulance if someone is seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk.

For urgent but not life-threatening illnesses or injuries, call NHS 111 first who will direct you to the most appropriate local service. You can also access 111 online at 111.nhs.uk

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