The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has been attempting to tame an 'internal major incident' since Monday afternoon, caused by huge demand on its emergency services.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: % of patients waiting for less than four hours to be seen at our A&E departments% of patients waiting for less than four hours to be seen at our A&E departments (Image: Archant)

An N&N spokesperson confirmed that it had declared the incident - which means the hospital has no capacity - at 1.55pm on Monday.

'This is due to the continuing higher volume of emergency demand,' the spokesperson said. 'We are discharging those patients who are able to go home immediately to increase our capacity to meet this demand.'

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, meanwhile, has been on 'black alert' - the step below an 'internal major incident' since the weekend.

NHS England statistics out today show the Christmas period was a tough one for our hospitals with just one A&E department in our region hitting the target of seeing 95 per cent of patients within four hours.

The James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston saw 96.3pc of patients within four hours for the week ending December 28.

Norfolk's biggest hospital - the N&N - saw 86 per cent of patients in the target time.

The figure for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn was 89.9 per cent, while the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds had the poorest performance of the four at 82 per cent.

West Suffolk's chief operating officer Jon Green said: 'We have been incredibly busy, with large numbers of very sick patients attending our emergency department, while our ability to transfer patients into the main hospital has been reduced as several wards have been affected by norovirus.

'Although we have brought in extra staff and opened every available bed to help us manage, these factors have had an impact on waiting times in the emergency department.'

Health minister and North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb said: 'The pressures in the system are being felt in Norfolk as well as everywhere else. The N&N has seen extraordinary growth in numbers of people attending A&E and in admissions. That is why we think we need to bite the bullet and make the extra investment in the NHS – that we secured in the Autumn Statement for 15/16 and what we are setting out for the next parliament.'

'It is hard to explain why the number is so high – the increased attendance at A&E and people ringing 999 for ambulances is an extraordinary growth compared to just last year,' he added.

The Liberal Democrat minister called for all political parties to work together and come up with a plan to secure the long-term funding of the NHS.

He said: 'I'm also saying that the NHS is so important, to all of us, that I think it goes beyond party politics. We all understand the pressures.

'Anyone who thinks that Labour coming into power means all these problems will disappear would be in fantasy land.

'So let's get all the parties together, this year, to have a fundamental review, engage the public in a debate and discussion about how we sustain the NHS. It's too important to allow this vital service to be undermined.'

His comments come amid growing pressure on hospitals with a number declaring 'major incidents' in recent days because of A&E pressures.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'There is a huge amount of pressure, that's absolutely clear.'

But he added: 'I think we also have to recognise, despite the particular pressures, despite the major incidents - and you always get some major incidents at this time of year - that the NHS is continuing to see in A&E departments nine out of 10 people within the four-hour target.

'That is actually better than any other country in the world that measures these things.'