TRAFFIC congestion around Southend Hospital is worse than ever according to one taxi driver.

In March, Southend Council moved the cab rank in Prittlewell Chase about 80m west, to try and stop ambulances being held up by long queues of traffic which block the entrance.

But Brian Houssart, acting secretary of the Southend Taxi Drivers' Association, said the problem hadn't gone away.

He said: "It's worse than ever. It looked good at the time and looked like the council was getting something done.

"But the traffic is just as bad and no-one is doing anything about it.

"The barriers onto the dual carriageway should never have been allowed because it forces people to queue along the carriageway.

"What about the poor people trying to go into the hospital to go to appointments?"

Problems escalated on Wednesday afternoon, after a fire alarm was triggered by someone smoking in an outpatients' disabled toilet.

Three members of hospital staff were sent to try and direct the engines through the traffic to the correct entrance.

One patient, who asked not be named, was appalled with the traffic chaos as he left the hospital on Wednesday.

He said: "It was impossible to get out, you couldn't move. I saw hospital staff waving at traffic and two disabled cars, in Carlingford Drive, with tickets on their windscreens. It was chaos."

Derek Kenyon, Southend Council's parking manager said disabled badge holders are only allowed to park on double yellow lines, if they do not endanger others.

He said: "The police ask us to strictly enforce the parking restrictions around Southend Hospital because it is an area which can so easily become congested and we need to do everything we can to help keep the traffic moving."