Emergency and out-of-hours medical services in Kent are experiencing unprecedented levels of demand with hospitals seeing more patients than there are beds.

Health chiefs have today said that the NHS in Kent is under significant pressure and have reiterated the call for people with minor illnesses or non-life threatening conditions to seek alternatives to A&E.

The call comes a day after the Red Cross said Britain's national health service was facing a "humanitarian crisis" and the organisation said it was on the front line supporting hospitals.

Chief executive Mike Adamson said: "[We are] responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country.

"We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds. This means deploying our team of emergency volunteers and even calling on our partner Land Rover to lend vehicles to transport patients and get the system moving."

“Staff are working flat-out in extremely difficult conditions. The government must take responsibility for the patients whose care and safety is being put at risk and urgently get to grips with this crisis situation.”

Speaking today, Prime Minister Theresa May rejected the Red Cross claim of a "humanitarian crisis" but recognised the NHS was under "huge pressures".

Hospitals in Kent were under extreme pressure over the festive period and that has continued into the first weeks of 2017 with many experiencing abnormally high attendance rates.

The emergency department at Medway Maritime Hospital, which serves a population of 384,300 people in the Medway and Swale, has seen an extra 1,600 patients this winter compared to last year and the high numbers have put undue pressure on staff.

"The devastating consequences of the lack of commitment to funding for health and social care have become all too apparent and patients are enduring one of the worst winters on record" - Dr Mark Porter, British Medical Association

The local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), which are responsible for planning and buying local NHS services, are backing Medway and Darent Valley Hospital's senior clinicians, and asking people with to seek alternative treatment.

A spokesperson for the north Kent and Medway CCGs said: "With these high levels of demand, the system is under serious pressure and priority is being given to those patients with urgent life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

"We are also urging residents to consider their options before visiting the emergency department at any of the area’s hospitals, which are all currently experiencing extremely high levels of attendance.

"Patients attending A&E with a minor illness are likely to experience an extremely long wait, with priority being given to those people with serious or life-threatening injuries and illnesses."

The chair of the British Medical Association council, Dr Mark Porter, said: "This intervention from the Red Cross highlights the enormous pressure the NHS is currently facing as conditions in hospitals across the country are reaching a dangerous level. The government should be ashamed that it has got the point where volunteers have been necessary to ease the burden.

"The devastating consequences of the lack of commitment to funding for health and social care have become all too apparent and patients are enduring one of the worst winters on record."

The minor injury units in Gravesend, Sittingbourne and Sheppey are open at weekends, and patients can walk in between 8am-8pm in Gravesend, and 9am-9pm in Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

GP-led walk-in centres are also open at weekends in Northfleet, Gillingham and Sheppey.

Pharmacists can also advise on the treatment of a range of minor ailments and many are open at late and at weekends.

The free Health Help Now website and app enables people to check their symptoms and search for local health services. As well as recommending options for treatment, it will provide opening hours of pharmacies and walk-in centres, and provides maps and directions.