ALL operations have been cancelled at a North East hospital after a surge in admissions over the festival period.

The “unprecedented” admissions at South Tyneside Hospital have led to a warning that some patients have been abusing accident and emergency resources for coughs and colds.

Last month, there was a 22% increase in patients attending A&E at South Tyneside District Hospital, compared with December 2011.

Dr Shaz Wahid, consultant acute physician, said the situation was the worst he’d seen in a decade, and appealed to patients to choose the right service and not automatically go to A&E.

He said: “At this time of year, we usually see an upsurge in emergency attendances at hospital with a range of winter illnesses.

“And, of course, when there is bad weather we naturally see an increase in injuries from people falling, particularly amongst the elderly population.

“However, I have worked 10 Christmases at this hospital and I have never seen it as busy. Normally, we would expect to get about 150 to 180 attendances a day at A&E but we have been averaging well over 200 in recent days.

“On one of the days over the holiday period it even rose to 250.”

He said one possible contributory factor to the increase in the number of patients was the Norovirus winter vomiting illness.

An unusually high number of seriously ill patients, many with respiratory problems or chest pain, had led to the cancellation of elective surgery for routine operations due to a shortage of beds, he added. “We would appeal to patients with minor injuries and illnesses to help us to efficiently manage the very sick people who really need to be seen in hospital by not automatically turning up at A&E.

“For example, we have been seeing people with coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms who could get advice from their local pharmacist.

“Patients with injuries that are over 48 hours old or who have had low-level pain for a few days, should see their GP first and minor injury units and walk-in centres can treat many minor ailments.”

Lorraine Lambert, South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust’s chief executive, said: “Despite opening a significant number of additional beds, we are having great difficulty in accommodating those very sick patients who require a bed in the hospital .

“Any assistance our local population of South Tyneside can offer us by avoiding attending A&E would be greatly appreciated.”