A hospital patient said she had to change her clothes “in full view of everybody” during a 28-hour wait that saw her sleep in a corridor.

Linda Wenman, 70, said she was afforded “no dignity” during her unforeseen stay at Basildon Hospital in December.

It came as hospitals across Essex continued to battle a significant spike in flu admissions.

Hospital trust chief Matthew Hopkins said staff were working to ensure the safety and dignity of patients was protected.

The number of flu patients at hospitals in England is almost five times higher than it was in December, according to NHS data.

An average of 5,408 people with flu were in beds each day last week, with 256 in critical care.

Ms Wenman, from Southend-on-Sea, was given a bed after a nine-hour wait in A&E, before being discharged after spending 19 further hours in a corridor.

She said the facilities being afforded to patients were “dreadful”.

“You can’t charge your phone, you’ve got no privacy to go to the toilet,” Ms Wenman told BBC Essex.

“I had to change my night clothes and I had to do that in the middle of the corridor, under a sheet wriggling about – it was awful.

“There was no dignity, none at all. It was totally embarrassing.”

Ms Wenman’s experience mirrored similar issues being faced at the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust’s hospitals in Broomfield and Southend-on-Sea.

Mr Hopkins said some patients were being treated “in areas where we wouldn’t ordinarily do so”.

He stressed it was unclear why this year’s flu spike was “particularly challenging” and said he hoped it would begin to subside within two weeks.

“Our staff are doing a brilliant job in making sure those patients are looked after safely and their dignity is protected,” Mr Hopkins said.

Visits to Broomfield Hospital have been severely restricted, with the emergency department, acute medical unit and medical wards closed to visitors.

Hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich have urged visitors to wear face masks, also admitting some patients were being treated on corridors.