Covid: Southend Hospital struggling with 700 absent staff

A hospital struggling with rising numbers of Covid-19 cases has about 700 staff away from work, either ill with the virus or self-isolating.

A "major incident" was declared in Essex over fears the county's health services could be overwhelmed.

Anthony McKeever, from the Essex Resilience Forum, external, said Southend Hospital has been having to cope with a lack of doctors of nurses despite a rising demand for care.

He said: "A doctor was telling me this morning he had six patients in need of oxygen therapy; two of them were his own staff."