Visits to A&E in Cornwall rose to almost 12,000 in April following latest lifting of lockdown
NHS England figures show the total number of visits rose by around 2,000 compared to March
More patients visited A&E at Royal Cornwall Hospitals last month, with demand rising well above the levels seen during the first national lockdown last year.
NHS England figures show 13,997 patients visited A&E at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in April.
That was a rise of 19% on the 11,733 visits recorded during March, and more than double the 6,835 patients seen in April the previous year.
The figures show attendances were below the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in April 2019, there were 18,773 visits to A&E at Royal Cornwall Hospitals.
The majority of attendances last month were via minor A&E departments – those which treat minor injuries and illnesses such as fractures, cuts and bruises – while 41% were via major departments, with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care.
Across England, A&E departments received 1.9 million visits last month.
That was an increase of 11% compared to March, and more than double the 916,600 seen during April 2020 – a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for that month as more people avoided hospitals during the early days of the pandemic.
What do the figures show?
13,997 patients visited A%E at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' NHS Trust in April.
That was a rise of 19% on the 11,733 visits recorded during March and more than double the number seen during April 2020.
At Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in April 2021:
85% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%
708 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit.
Of those, 25 were delayed by more than 12 hours.
Separate data reveals that at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust in March 2021:
The median time to treatment was 42 minutes.
Around 1% of patients left before being treated.
You can check the full figures for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' NHS Trust here.
The figures were released during the week health care services across Cornwall were placed on OPEL 4 - known as black alert: Read more.
NHS Kernow says the whole system is under "intense pressure" and is urging people to call 111 and avoid casualty unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
"All of our health and care services are busy and we need everyone to do their bit to support our teams to care safely for everyone by contacting their GP or 111 first.
"Residents and holidaymakers can really help to ease the pressure by making sure they use the right services, and by supporting family or friends so they can stay in their own homes, where appropriate.
"We're asking people not to call 999 or turn up to the emergency department unless they have a serious or life-threatening condition.
"The first point of call should always be your own GP, even if you are here on holiday, and when they are closed, or you simply don't know what type of care you need, just go online at 111.nhs.uk or dial 111".
Paul Cook, Chairman of NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group
You can check where else to go for treatment if it is not a life-threatening emergency here.