Drop in visits to A&E at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust last month

NHS England figures show 14,570 patients visited emergency departments at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs King’s Mill, in April.

That was a drop of 6 per cent on the 15,456 visits recorded during March, but 2 per cent more than the 14,255 patients seen in April 2022.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen two years ago – in April 2021, there were 12,295 visits to SFH accident and emergency departments.

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care, such as at King’s Mill – while 34 per cent were via minor injury units, such as at the trust’s urgent care centre at Newark Hospital.

Rachel Eddie, SFH chief operating officer, said: “Demand for NHS services remains high across the entire country, but we are steadily increasing the number of patients seen within four hours despite a difficult winter that has also included managing the significant impact we know industrial action has had on our staff, patients and services.”

“We know A&E isn’t always the best place to access the care patients need, which is why we continue to work to ensure patients can continue to access the treatment they need in the appropriate place as quickly as possible.

“We know high demand means patients sometimes have to wait slightly longer for the treatment they need and I would like to thank our patients for their understanding as our hard-working NHS staff work to see them as quickly as possible.

“Before visiting A&E, we’re asking people to consider whether it is a genuine emergency as it’s often not the best place for their needs. If you need urgent medical attention when it’s not an emergency, please choose carefully.”

Across England, A&E departments received 2 million visits last month, a decrease of 6 per cent compared with March, and a similar number as seen during April 2022.

The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments across England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted stood at 26,900 in April, down 32 per cent from 39,700 in March. The figure hit a record 54,600 in December 2022.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said strides made in emergency care "in the face of incredible pressure" is testimony to the hard work of frontline staff.

She added: "Ambulance response times are the fastest they have been for almost two years while A&E performance has also improved."

At SFH in April, there were 114 booked appointments, down from 162 in March, while 76 per cent of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95 per cent. Some 769 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit – 5 per cent of all arrivals. Of those, 83 were delayed by more than 12 hours.