Covid hospital cases surge toward peak of first wave as doctors warn of ‘war zone’ wards & ‘overwhelmed’ NHS

Nearly 8,000 calls were received, a 40% increase on a typical "busy" day.

One London paramedic told the BBC that some patients were being treated in ambulance bays upon arrival at hospital, due to a lack of beds inside.

"It's been a horrendous time," the paramedic said. "Ambulance staff are finding the whole situation very stressful."

It comes after Boris Johnson refused this week to rule out a third lockdown after Christmas.

The PM warned tougher restrictions could be needed to keep a mutant coronavirus strain “running out of control” in the New Year.

The rapid spread of the new variant, believed to be up to 70 per cent more contagious, saw millions of Brits in London and the South East of England plunged into a Tier 4 lockdown just before Christmas. 

Further areas were thrown into Tier 4 on Boxing Day amid fears the new strain has already spread across the country.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, Mr Johnson said the new variant had led to “very considerable new pressure” - and did not another national lockdown.

The PM said: “We believe that we’re going to have to get through this tough period now with, as I have said many times, very tough restrictions, with tough tiering.

“As much as I regret that, I do think it is necessary for us to drive this virus now to stop it running out of control in January.

“We need to buy ourselves time to get the vaccine into as many arms of the elderly and vulnerable as we can.”

Mr Johnson acknowledged that the last-minute cancellation of Christmas for millions of Brits was “very tough”, but stressed it would “continue to be difficult” because the new variant is spreading at an alarming rate.