A FIRE engine had to take an elderly woman to hospital and ambulances have been queuing outside A&E, as the immense pressure at York Hospital shows little sign of easing.

Many non-urgent operations continue to be postponed and a major incident was today declared at Scarborough Hospital, as York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both hospitals, responded to unprecedented demand.

An elderly woman who had fallen in Acorn Way in Woodthorpe and suffered facial injuries last Friday was taken to hospital in a passing fire engine as the ambulance service was "extremely busy", a spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said today.

Sarah Hearld, owner of Harvey Richard Hairdressing in Moorcroft Road, said a woman had come into the salon with blood on her hand.

“She said she had been helping out after an elderly woman had fallen and cut her head really badly,” she said.

“She told me everyone had been amazed when a fire engine had turned up out of the blue and taken her away to hospital.”