The under-pressure A&E department of Norfolk's biggest hospital remained on 'black alert' for a second day, as huge demand continued.

It follows news that the Norfolk and Norwich (N&N) and King's Lynn Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) declared a black alert on Monday.

Black alert is a hospital's highest escalation level, meaning it will look at emergency steps to free up capacity, including postponing surgeries and opening day-only units overnight.

An N&N spokesman confirmed that the hospital remained on black alert yesterday, and explained the actions taken to manage the situation.

These include cancelling 'carefully selected' non-emergency operations to free up beds, discharging extra patients 'where appropriate', setting up extra beds in makeshift ward space and working with partner agencies to manage the pressure on services.

A spokesman for the QEH said the hospital was no longer on black alert.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds was on red status yesterday. A spokesman said: 'We are still extremely busy and have opened extra capacity to meet demand.'

The James Paget University Hospital (JPH) in Gorleston was 'busy but coping' on amber status.