Patients stranded in Lincoln A&E due to bed shortages

Ambulances has to queue outside the hospital due to the delays

Patients with serious conditions have reported waiting over 12 hours in a hospital accident and emergency department due to a shortage of beds.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said Lincoln A&E was experiencing long delays while "very poorly" patients waited to be admitted.

Ambulances have also had to queue outside the building.

One patient with suspected pneumonia or clot on his lung told the BBC: "I've been sat up in a chair all night."

Ian, 42, was admitted on Wednesday night and was still waiting for a bed on Thursday afternoon, but he said other patients had waited longer than him.

"The waiting area was not too busy but the treatment area was chaotic," he said.

He added some of the staff, who he praised for their efforts, had been on shift throughout his wait.

"I've asked if they have any idea when it will be and I've been told ages."

According to United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust the delays were caused by a shortage of beds

A hospital spokesperson said: "We are continuing to see increasing numbers of patients attending our A&E, many of whom are very poorly and need to be admitted to one of our wards.

"As a result of this unprecedented demand, our wards are extremely busy and patients are facing waits to be admitted, causing delays in our A&E."

The trust is asking patients to use pharmacy or GP services if possible to alleviate the pressure on A&E departments.

Twenty five ambulances queued outside Hull Royal Infirmary on Wednesday night

On Wednesday night, 25 ambulances queued outside Hull Royal Infirmary's emergency department.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said the hospital was still incredibly busy and asked that only people with genuine medical emergencies attend.

• More news from across Lincolnshire