Broomfield Hospital is opening a further 26 beds

The survey of 18 of the area's main hospitals found that all but two were virtually at full capacity.

The beds crisis is partly being blamed on flu-like viruses as pressure mounts on health staff before the winter peak.

The survey found that almost 40% of hospitals are on red alert - which means they have reached a critical stage.

At Bedford Hospital they have two wards which are closed to admissions, and four cases of the winter vomiting virus.

Hospital's bed occupancy King's Lynn 99% Norfolk and Norwich 95% James Paget, Gorleston 100% West Suffolk 99% Ipswich 98% Essex Rivers 99% Broomfield, Chelmsford 99% Harlow 95% Luton and Dunstable 96% Hinchingbrooke 100% Addenbrooke's, Cambridge 98% Northampton 98% Stevenage 98% Bedford 97% Milton Keynes 95% Peterborough 92% Kettering 88% Southend 99%

At Ipswich Hospital managers have had to open extra beds to cope with the demand.

Both the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital say they have experienced a significant increase in emergency admissions.

Andrew Stronach, a spokesman for the Norfolk and Norwich, said: "The rise in the number of emergency admissions which has been seen across the region is the main reason for bed shortages.

"There has been a 10% rise on last year, emergency admissions includes heart and respiratory problems."

He said it was unclear what the reason for this was.

At the Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, a further 26 beds will be available next month, to be used as an overflow ward.

Half of the hospitals surveyed said they had seen an unexplained large increase in pressure on their emergency departments in recent weeks.