Hospitals and ambulance services today reported a surge in demand as winter flu swept the Midlands.

Staff in accident and emergency departments have been tackling sharp rises in admissions since the weekend.

Ambulance services said demand was 50 per cent higher than normal.

Lisa Stokes, spokeswoman for Staffordshire General Hospital, said the hospital was extremely busy. She said Monday had been the worst day.

Miss Stokes said: “The accident and emergency department was unusually busy. According to staff, it was a really horrendous day.

“It wasn’t down to just one thing, like a sickness bug. We were dealing with all sorts of things.”

Staffordshire Ambulance Service has been coping with up to 500 emergency calls a day – 47.9 per cent more than average.

Suzie Fothergill, from Dudley Group of Hospitals, said: “The emergency department was busier than usual yesterday.” Admissions to Worcestershire hospitals were also high.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said the wards and waiting rooms were full when she visited Wolverhampton’s New Cross. She said: “The waiting area was full of people. It was absolute chaos.”

But Phil Milligan, from Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust which runs New Cross, said the number of people in the hospital were the same as this time last year.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and hospitals in Walsall reported no increase in patients.