David Cameron faced embarrassment over the NHS crisis last night after his doctor brother-in-law warned of ‘unprecedented’ pressure on the health service.

Cardiologist Carl Brookes, who is married to the Prime Minister’s sister Tania, spoke of the ‘extraordinary’ challenges faced by his own hospital trust in Hampshire over the past few weeks.

It also emerged that the trust, which is made up of three hospitals, is so stretched that it has asked IT workers and other non-medical staff to help out on the wards.

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Carl Brookes warned his brother-in-law David Cameron warned of 'unprecedented' pressure at the A&E department in Basingstoke, meaning IT workers have had to help serve meals and do laundry

Dr Brookes, medical director at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, raised the alarm over the pressure his A&E department in Basingstoke was coming under.

He said: ‘It is important people understand this is unprecedented. There is no doubt that we, and other hospitals around the country, are facing extraordinary challenges.’

Mr Brookes' wife Tania is the sister of Tory party leader David Cameron

Dr Brookes revealed that the A&E department was dealing with 11 per cent more patients than at the same period last year and was struggling to move patients on and make space for new arrivals.

He said: ‘There are problems with access to adult services – we are seeing a lot of frail, elderly people who need special care. If the back door is blocked, it makes it difficult to get in the front door.’

The trust has tried to relieve the pressure on doctors and nurses by asking administrative and IT staff to help on wards by serving meals or sorting laundry.

In a leaked email, management told staff: ‘There is a desperate need to support clinical staff on wards.’

It is not the first time Mr Cameron’s brother-in-law has embarrassed the Prime Minister over the NHS. Four years ago, he warned hospitals could lose out under the Coalition’s controversial NHS reforms by giving too much power to GPs, though he later backtracked on the remark.

Dr Brookes and the trust were not available for comment last night, but Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: ‘If Mr Cameron won’t listen to patients and the public, maybe his own family will have better luck.