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 wards were closed to visitors, except for patients receiving end of life care.

A statement on the hospital’s website said the decision was made “to protect our patients”.

It came as hospitals in Colchester, Ipswich, Luton, Bedford and Milton Keynes all urged people to wear face masks at their sites.

Health services across the East of England have been under growing pressure because of a spike in seasonal viruses.

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

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

Mr Hulme said staff had been thrown “slightly off course” by an earlier-than-expected surge in flu infections.

After a visit to both the trust’s hospitals on Christmas Day, he said: “It was extraordinary to see the level of patients on both sites.”

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

“Our hospitals are seeing an exceptional level of demand on services,” it read.

Bosses said only one healthy individual could visit patients there at a time, with people encouraged to wear face masks.

Milton Keynes Hospital advised that children under the age of 12 should avoid visiting a patient “due to infection control reasons”.

As the strain on the health service intensified over Christmas, NHS England national medical director, Prof Sir Stephen Powis, said: “Despite record A&E demand in recent months, we want to reassure people that we are working incredibly hard to keep them safe, manage additional pressure and provide the best possible care.”