This, though, is not unusual. Hospitals up-and-down the country have found themselves in this position regularly this winter.
But beyond the busy, stressed A&E unit, there were plenty of other stories to tell.
This is what a day in a London hospital tells us about the NHS.
The Royal Free has two radiotherapy machines to help treat cancer patients. Both are nearly a decade old, which is the upper limit of how long they should be used for.
Radiotherapy service manager Clare Hartill says: "We need new machines.
"Old machines are 50% less efficient - so with new machines we could treat more people and then they would wait less time for their cancer treatment."
This is a common complaint across the NHS.
In England, there is a backlog of £13.8bn for buildings and equipment that needs upgrading and replacing. That is double what is was a decade ago.
As one of London's eight specialist heart attack centres, the Royal Free gets patients from across the north of the capital.
Most patients they see are in their 50s, 60s and 70s, but sometimes they will get people in their 30s brought in by paramedics, says senior charge nurse Rui Tinoco.
"It is quite shocking to see people that young," he says. "Lifestyle is the big factor with these cases. Many of us working here are in our 30s, so it is quite upsetting to see."
In the cancer department, staff also highlight how lifestyles are causing illness.
About 40% of cancers are estimated to be related to diet, alcohol, a lack of activity and smoking.
"We are seeing a rising number of referrals," says lead cancer nurse Jemma O'Reilly. "There are a variety of factors – the ageing population, genetics and cancer recurring, but the way we live is definitely a factor."
Margaret Georgiou, 72, went to see her GP in early December suffering from bloating and jaundice. She was referred to a specialist and pancreatic cancer was diagnosed.
The majority of cases – around 85% - cannot be treated.
But doctors think Margaret's cancer had been caught early so she underwent what is called a Whipple procedure three days ago.
She had half her pancreas, bile duct and gall bladder removed, along with part of her gut and stomach.
Mid operation they had to pause after a lesion was found on her liver – but after a quick examination it was found to be benign and the surgery could continue.
It was a complex operation that lasted eight hours. "It was fraught with risks," says her surgeon David Nasralla. "But it went as well as it could."
She has a long recovery ahead of her and will have to take medication every time she eats.
"For a significant minority Whipple procedure can be curative. That's why we put patients through such complex surgery," adds Mr Nasralla.