Shropshire A&E patient numbers fall slightly but pressure remains

NHS England figures show 8,928 patients visited A&E at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital in November.

It was a drop on the 9,398 visits recorded during October, and was 26 per cent lower than the 12,029 patients seen in November the previous year.

Health chiefs say they are seeing around 300 patients a day in the emergency departments, while the hospitals are also caring for coronavirus patients.

Dr Arne Rose, medical director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which runs PRH and RSH, said the A&E departments were 'extremely busy'.

The trust has warned that, although urgent care activity reduced over the summer – as did the number of Covid-positive patients cared for in its hospitals, it has been busier as the winter months have been approaching.

People have been urged to consider whether self-care, local pharmacies, GPs or NHS 111 is the right option before they come to A&E.

A new policy, which has been in place over the last few months, is urging patients to call NHS 111 first rather than walk in to the emergency departments.

Patients with more serious issues are given a dedicated time slot to visit, while those with less serious issues are advised to see a GP or pharmacist.

It aims to help manage visitor numbers, but people are still able to visit A&E without going through the scheme and are urged to call 999 in an emergency.

Bosses say they have also been seeing higher levels of Covid-positive patients during the second wave, as well as managing asymptomatic patients whose diagnosis is picked up during regular screening.

Figures from NHS England show the trust was caring for 51 coronavirus patients in its hospitals as of last Tuesday.

Across England, A&E departments received 1.5 million visits last month.

That was a decrease of seven per cent compared to October, and 31 per cent fewer than the 2.1 million seen during November 2019.

The NHS said the drop in attendances nationally is "likely to be a result of the Covid-19 response".

NHS figures show that just over two-thirds of arrivals at SaTH were seen within four hours last month, with 1,195 patients waiting longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit.

Of those, 39 were delayed by more than 12 hours.

The trust has received £6.3 million from the government to prepare for winter, which will be used for a new same day emergency care centre at RSH, and to create more patient cubicles in the current A&E.

The idea behind the centre is that people are seen and treated the same day, removing the need for hospital admission.