A 78-YEAR-OLD man suffering from a fever was among elderly patients who waited hours in a draughty corridor to be seen by doctors at Southend Hospital.

Trolleys of sick, elderly patients were lined up waiting for at least three hours outside A&E before being admitted on Monday night.

Ambulance crews were forced to wait with patients, preventing them from attending any other emergencies.

Lianne Small, whose father Norman, 78, waited for two-and-a-half hours to be admitted, said: “It was like a third world country.

“It was all elderly people on trolleys waiting in draughty corridors.

“The ambulance crews said this is the beginning of winter and this is what’s going to happen.

“I don’t know how the hospital can gloss over what is going on.”

An ambulance rushed Mr Small, of Chalkwell Avenue, Chalkwell, to hospital with a temperature of 38C after his GP diagnosed a suspected chest infection.

Nurses took his blood pressure and temperature and he was admitted to the acute medical unit by about 11pm.

Ms Small, 54, whowas with her father, said about six or seven ambulance crews were waiting with patients in the corridor.

She said: “I’ve not seen anything like it. I couldn’t believe it.”

Chris Cole, medicine business unit director at the hospital, said: “Our accident and emergency department has been extremely busy over the past few days with a high number of acute attendances.

“We’re sorry to hear Ms Small is unhappy with the service her father received and would encourage her to contact us directly to enable us to investigate her concerns.”

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “We have been working very closely with hospitals to reduce handover delays.

“The trust has introduced hospital ambulance liaison officers at some hospitals to improve the handover process between ambulance crews and hospital staff.”