Two top health administrators have publicly apologised for failures in the way they handed a crisis at the Medway Maritime Hospital at Christmas.

Hospital chief executive, Andy Horne, and Marion Dinwoodie, his opposite number at NHS Medway (the area's main health funder) admitted mistakes were made as they faced unprecedented demand.

People waited hours for treatment in the emergency department and ambulances queued outside as the hospital ran out of beds.

The immediate problem was eventually solved by closing the Sanderson child care centre and turning it back into a hospital ward.

But it distressed parents, angered councillors who should have been consulted and proved to be a mistake, said an apologetic Marion Dinwoodie, chief executive of NHS Medway.

They were among four chief executives who faced questions from scrutiny councillors at Medway Council about chaotic scenes as staff strived to give treatment during a serious colds outbreak at Christmas.

Extra doctors, nurses, training and wards are being planned as part of a multi-million pound package of improvements at the hospital to avoid a repeat crisis.

"We know these things are going to happen again, and we need to know how to respond and react better next time," Anne Finlayson (NHS Medway) said.

See Friday's print edition of the Medway Messenger for more on the meeting and reaction.