Fall in East Lancashire A and E patients from previous month

NHS England figures show 18,214 patients visited A&E at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust in June.

That was a slight drop from the 18,284 visits recorded during May, but 45% more than the 12,542 patients seen in June 2020.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in June 2019, there were 15,621 visits to A&E at East Lancashire Hospitals.

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 38% were via minor injury units.

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month.

That was an increase of 4% compared to May, and 53% more than the 1.4 million seen during June 2020 – a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for that month as more people avoided hospitals during the early days of the pandemic.

In June in East Lancashire:

There were 213 booked appointments, down from 219 in May;

78% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%;

754 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit;

Of those, 17 were delayed by more than 12 hours.