The noise, huddles of doctors and nurses, anxious looks on faces, trolleys being navigated awkwardly around patients on chairs, and above all the dedication of staff on the A&E frontline in conditions which would seem intolerable for more than a few days but are now almost routine.

Multiple hospitals across the country have declared critical incidents after emergency departments were swamped by a surge in winter flu cases. As of Tuesday evening, NHS England confirmed at least a dozen hospitals had declared the health system’s highest alert level as the rise in respiratory cases led to “exceptionally high demands”.

A number of NHS trusts in England have declared critical incidents amid "exceptionally high demands" on emergency departments. One trust said it is seeing "high numbers of older patients with respiratory problems exacerbated by the cold weather".