Covert footage from an ambulance crew has revealed the “harrowing” situation inside Watford General Hospital.

Daniel Waterhouse is a Watford ambulance crew member who has sacrificed his job to be a whistleblower for Channel 4's Dispatches and secretly film the reality of the NHS crisis.

The Undercover Ambulance: NHS in Chaos will air on Channel 4 from 9pm to 10pm on Thursday (March 9), and features footage from East of England Ambulance Service calls, including bringing patients into Watford General Hospital.

Watford Observer: Still of Watford General Hospital from Undercover Ambulance: NHS in ChaosStill of Watford General Hospital from Undercover Ambulance: NHS in Chaos (Image: Channel 4)

The Sunday Times has seen the programme ahead of its broadcast and described a “corridor nightmare” scene in Watford General as “one of the most harrowing” parts of the broadcast.

A West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust spokesperson highlighted the unprecedented demand over the winter, when the programme was filmed.

They said: “Emergency care patients are treated in order of clinical priority and this can mean long waits for those whose injury or illness does not require urgent attention.

“We monitor patients whilst they are waiting to ensure they are safe and have had pain relief and hydration, if needed.

“Our emergency care teams do a great job in challenging circumstances. We are incredibly proud of them and thank them for their resilience and compassion as they strive to provide the best care possible.”

Mr Waterhouse has resigned from his job ahead of the documentary being released.

Watford Observer: Still of Watford General Hospital from Undercover Ambulance: NHS in ChaosStill of Watford General Hospital from Undercover Ambulance: NHS in Chaos (Image: Channel 4)

He said: “I joined the ambulance service to help people and I don’t feel I’m able to do that anymore.

“This winter has been one of the most exhausting experiences I have had whilst working in the ambulance service. Everyone is doing the best they possibly can but we are firefighting at this point."

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An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Over the last winter and at EEAST we saw a significant increase in seriously ill patients.

“This meant EEAST was often not able to attend even our most serious patients as quickly as we would wish, and we apologise to those directly affected.”

They added that it is boosting capacity and has already seen improvements but remains under pressure.