A&E staff at Ipswich Hospital are gearing up for a busy Christmas with patients arriving with head injuries, chest pain and respiratory illness.

It is a busy time of year for teams working, with a wide range of ailments to treat.

Now new data has revealed the most common reasons why people attended Ipswich Hospital's A&E department on Christmas Day last year.

Figures received through a freedom of information request shows that falls, chest pains and shortness of breath are among the top 10 reasons for attendances.

In 2019, three months before the pandemic prompted the first national lockdown, respiratory issues were a common cause of attendances and this continued into 2020.

Common injuries over both years include head injuries, wrist injuries, ankle injuries and visits following falls.

With the current rise in cases in Ipswich following the outbreak of the Omicron Covid variant, it was feared it could be another busy year for Ipswich Hospital but as of Wednesday, December 22, admissions to Suffolk hospitals remain stable.