POLICE officers were called to a hospital A&E department after a Kidderminster man started filming the the "chaos" he said he witnessed there.

Brian Ryder, aged 49, had been taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital with heart palpitations on Friday (January 5) but was left shocked at the scenes that confronted him.

He said ambulances were queuing up outside waiting to deliver patients while the A&E department was full of people on trolleys with under-pressure doctors and nurses rushing trying to cope with the huge demand.

But when he started filming the scenes on his phone, security guards confronted him and demanded he delete the footage. He refused but eventually relented when police were called.

A hospital spokesman said they would always take action if unauthorised filming took place and added the department has faced a huge increase in demand during the winter.

But Mr Ryder said: “My sole intention was to highlight what was going on in the department. I wasn’t obstructing anyone or looking to breach confidentiality.

“I didn’t think I needed to go to hospital but when the palpitations started, my friend called for help and an ambulance was sent.

“What I was confronted with though, I don’t think the phrase ‘utter chaos’ covers it. I couldn’t believe how bad it was. So I took my phone out and started filming.

“People rarely see what goes on inside and I thought it was important that this was highlighted. But I was spotted and three security guards quickly surrounded me.

“At first they demanded my phone but I refused. They threatened to call the police and I still refused.

“Eventually, an officer asked me for my phone and I gave it to them and they deleted the footage. I discharged myself as I felt better and the police gave me a lift home.

“The doctors and nurses do a magnificent job and I feel extremely sorry for them and patients caught up in this. Something needs to be done urgently to support them.”

Stephen Brown, of Wyre Forest Labour, said: “The fact there is a crisis in our NHS can no longer be denied. The conspiracy of silence from our Tory MP’s is frankly shocking.

“What is really shocking, is what’s going on at Worcester Royal. On Friday night, things got very desperate. Until funding is improved things are not going to get better.”

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are not going to comment on individual cases but it is never acceptable for anyone to film or photograph patients, carers or staff in any of our hospitals without their express permission. If this happens we will take appropriate action to deal with it.

“Our services continue to face very high levels of demand. Over the past few days we have also seen a sharp increase in the number of patients with flu, or flu-like symptoms.

“This does mean that some patients will have to wait longer than we would aim for. We recognise that this can be upsetting for patients, and their carers, and we apologise to anyone who is affected, as well as thanking the vast majority of people for their support and understanding in difficult circumstances.”

A West Mercia Police spokesman added: "At about 9.20pm on January 5, we were called to reports that a man was causing a disruption in the Accident and Emergency Department of Worcester Royal Hospital.

"The reports said this disruption included shouting, and filming both hospital staff and patients.

"Three West Mercia Police officers attended this incident. Our records indicate that they did not make any arrest or any threat of arrest.

"When asked, the man voluntarily shared his phone with them. The officers then gave the man a lift home to Kidderminster."