Hospitals across the Black Country have been forced to cancel operations as they struggle to deal with a surge in emergency patients due to winter illnesses, it emerged today.

Procedures have been called off at hospitals in Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell because of soaring numbers of patients being admitted with flu and chest problems, health bosses said.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust has cancelled 15 operations this week, mostly in orthopaedics.

A joint statement issued by the three hospital trusts said operations had been postponed due to “extremely high volumes of emergency patients” being admitted.

Staff at Russells Hall, Dudley, Walsall Manor and Sandwell General hospitals are now working to clear the backlog and are asking people to be patient

Paula Clark, chief executive of The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs Russells Hall, said operations were only postponed as a last resort and patients would be seen as soon as possible.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to anyone who has been inconvenienced and to reassure them they will be seen at the earliest possible opportunity.

“This winter is proving especially busy. People can help us by only making 999 calls in life-threatening cases.”

Bosses at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton say they have not been affected by the issue although there are long waits in accident and emergency and delays for beds on hospital wards.

The trust has 34 confirmed or suspected cases of flu in the hospital, where two people have died from swine flu since Christmas.

At Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 119 operations have been postponed between December 20 and January 10.

They have been non urgent, non cancer operations.

Bosses say all day case operations have continued as planned.