The letter came after 14 NHS trusts declared critical incidents due to ‘exceptionally high' demand on A&E and patients being admitted to wards as the number of flu admissions to hospitals quadrupled.

Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran, said: ‘It is very worrying to hear of the strain that A&E departments across the country are under and of NHS trusts having to declare critical incidents because of the high number of people attending with winter illnesses and the spike in flu cases.'

The MPs asks what support will be provided to NHS trusts that have declared a critical incident, including after the incidents end to mitigate the impact on elective procedures and what progress was made on implementing the actions outlined by NHS England in September to prepare for this year's winter pressures.

The committee called for a response no later than 27 January ahead of its session with NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard.