Over 450 people are arriving daily at a Yorkshire hospital’s emergency department as the winter ‘quad-demic’ continues to wreak havoc through the NHS.

Patients attending the emergency department at York Hospital have been urged to arrive alone as waiting times to see a doctor surged to more than ten hours.

It comes after NHS bosses described the current flu season as “potentially on track to be one of the worst we’ve ever seen.”

An amber cold health alert has been issued by the UK Health and Security Agency extending into the weekend.

Patients attending the emergency department at York Hospital have been urged to arrive alone as waiting times to see a doctor surged to more than ten hours.

This means health services have been warned the weather could contribute to a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.

The so-called quad-demic has seen hospitalisations for flu, norovirus, RSV and covid increase across the country, with around 5,000 people a day in hospitals for flu.

David Slack, a chartered surveyor from Malton, attended A&E in York on Monday evening with his mother Jean, 90, who had fractured and dislocated her shoulder.

The pair sat in the department for over eight hours before she was admitted onto a ward.

Mr Slack said: “It was like how you’d expect an airport to be two days before Christmas, standing room only.

“The staff were absolutely amazing with their kindness, compassion and professionalism.

“But the system is in crisis. At 1am a senior manager came in, asked for everyone to be quiet and said apologetically they had no beds left for anybody.

“It was just bedlam in there.”

Dr Ed Smith, emergency medicine consultant and deputy medical director at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While we understand it’s appropriate for a friend or family member to accompany with a child or as a carer for example, if patients can attend alone, this will help free up much needed space for other patients.

“We are currently seeing more than 450 people a day arriving in the departments and our staff are working exceptionally hard to provide the best care in challenging circumstances.”

The warning was echoed by other hospitals across Yorkshire.

Dr Magnus Harrison, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Slips, trips and falls from icy conditions, in addition to the impact of cold weather on existing health problems, has led to an increase in patients seeking help and places extra pressure on our already busy teams.”

NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “Frontline NHS staff are under significant pressure and the demand is showing no signs of letting up, with latest data showing flu cases skyrocketed to around 5,000 a day in hospitals at the end of last year and multiple trusts across the country declaring incidents to help them to manage additional strain on services."

NHS winter crisis: Yorkshire hospital begs patients "please come to A&E alone"