Patients waited to be seen for up to six hours at Kingston Hospital’s accident and emergency department at the weekend, as hospitals across the country saw extra admissions due to cold weather.

The huge waits came a day before a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey who used their time to say the Lib Dems "struck the right balance" on the NHS budget.

Hospitals must ensure 95 per cent of patients are seen within four hours of arriving, but even in the last week of 2014 the figure at Kingston had slipped to 92.3 per cent.

From Monday: Nick Clegg visits Kingston Hospital and insists Lib Dems 'strike right balance' on NHS funding

In the same week, just 13 hospitals in England hit the target.

The four-hour target governs the time between a patient’s arrival and their treatment, admission to hospital or transfer elsewhere.

A Kingston Hospital spokeswoman said: “The whole hospital continues to be exceptionally busy and we are working around the clock to make sure all our patients get the best care in the most appropriate place.

“We are working with our community partners to help ensure the right support is in place for patients when they leave the hospital, so that we are able to discharge patients and have beds available for the acutely ill patients who need them.

“We would ask people to only come in a real emergency. Where possible, use your GP or local walk-in centre.”

Kingston was not the only hospital struggling to cope.

Surrey Comet:

At St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey on Monday, people were urged to stay away due to severe pressure on services.

A statement earlier this week by Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the department was under “unprecedented demand” and warned all non-emergency patients they faced an “extremely long wait”.

Today a trust spokeswoman said the situation was still “major incident”, but that things were improving.

Pressure still on as situation improves at Ashford and St Peter's

In June, Kingston Council gave the green light to plans for an expansion of Kingston Hospital’s accident and emergency department.

A planning document submitted by the hospital admitted the administration, minor injury and observation area was “not fit for purpose and needs to allow for future expansion” because of “cramped accommodation”.

Work on the expansion is expected to begin in the summer and will allow more space to treat the most seriously ill patients, the hospital said this week.

Winter pressure is set to continue throughout January and February.