EXTRA medical staff were drafted in and emergency theatres worked through the night to treat hundreds of patients injured as a result of the icy weather.

The University Hospital of North Staffordshire said yesterday would probably prove to be the busiest day on record for its accident and emergency department, as hundreds of people broke bones in falls and scores of motorists bumped their cars.

Hospital staff were brought off annual leave to cope with record numbers of fractures.

And ambulances had to be drafted in from across the West Midlands to ferry the injured to the Hartshill complex.

One official described A&E as looking like a comic book scene, with queues of people wrapped in bandages on their wrists, arms, legs and heads.

Weather experts told how cold air over central districts had been hit by milder conditions from the north, causing freezing rain, which instantly turned to ice on hitting the ground.

They warned conditions could get even worse as surface water from yesterday's slight thaw was set to re-freeze.

By early yesterday evening, more than 300 patients had flooded through the A&E unit, which normally sees around 200 cases a day.

It was well on course to breaking its daily record of 400 casualties set in December 2010.

Chief executive Julia Bridgewater said: "Many staff have seen nothing like this. The icy pavements were the problem and many said they would rather have seen thick snow, as that would have less impact.

"Our staff again magnificently rose to the challenge.

"Two extra A&E consultants came off leave to make it six; as did additional orthopaedic surgeons and when not operating they visited wards to discharge patients and give us more beds.

"But extra nurses, caterers and x-ray staff also reported in to make it a real team effort."

Head A&E consultant Magnus Harrison said: "Many injuries were minor resulting from slips and falls on the ice.

"But while routine to emergency staff, these can be devastating for patients."

By yesterday afternoon, West Midlands Ambulance Service had answered 167 calls in Stoke-on-Trent alone with 93 of them classed as falls on icy surfaces.

Extra vehicles were pulled in from the south of the region.

A spokesman said: "It seems that North Staffordshire got the worst of it."

The conditions meant about 30 schools across the region were closed and a number of events have been cancelled.

Leighton Hospital, in Crewe, has seen up to 17 people a day who have suffered from slips and falls this week.

Some residents even resorted to wearing socks over their shoes to prevent a fall.

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