Ambulances were called for people with toothache, one patient visited A&E with a splinter in their finger, ­another with a buzzing noise inside their ear and one asked for prescription tablets after being unable to get a GP appointment.

Statistics reveal that of the 26,452 ambulance calls in Redbridge, 3,654 could have been avoided between April 2012 and January 2013, about 13 per cent.

The trust behind Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital, Goodmayes, has released details as pressure on emergency departments mounts in the winter.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) is asking people to remember that A&E is for urgent injuries and illnesses. Anyone with coughs, colds, flu, vomiting and diarrhoea should stay away from the hospital to avoid infecting others.

Havering Clinical Commissioning Group is urging people to visit walk-in centres, GPs or call the 111 NHS helpline for advice for non-urgent treatment.