Visits to Broomfield Hospital are severely limited amid the flu outbreak.

Visits have been severely restricted at a hospital battling a surge in flu cases.

Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford said the emergency department, acute medical unit and medical ward were closed to visitors, except for patients on end-of-life care.

Oh Statement on the hospital’s website He said the decision was made “to protect our patients.”

It comes as hospitals in Colchester, Ipswich, Luton, Bedford and Milton Keynes urge people to wear face masks on their sites.

Health services in the east of England are under increasing pressure due to a rise in seasonal viruses.

On New Year’s Eve, the East of England Ambulance Service declared alert at its highest level.Stating that it had received an “unprecedented level” of 999 calls.

It follows concerns raised by Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals.

Mr Hulme said staff had been “a bit put off” by the earlier-than-expected rise in flu infections.

After Visit to both hospitals of the Trust On Christmas Day, he said: “It was extraordinary to see the level of patients at both sites.”

A statement from Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable Hospital painted a similar picture of winter stress.

“Our hospitals are experiencing an unprecedented level of demand for services,” it read.

Only one healthy person can visit patients there at a time, bosses said, with people encouraged to wear face masks.

Milton Keynes Hospital advises that children under 12 should avoid visiting patients “for infection control reasons”.

As pressure on health services increases over Christmas, NHS England’s National Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powes, said: “Despite record A&E demand in recent months, we want to reassure people that we are keeping them safe. , are working incredibly hard to manage and provide the best care possible.”