Rise in visits to A&E at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital

More patients visited A&E at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital last month, with demand rising above the levels seen over the same period last year.

NHS England figures show 12,059 patients visited A&E at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust in April.

That was a rise of 12% on the 10,763 visits recorded during March, and 35% more than the 8,907 patients seen in April 2021.

The figures show attendances were well above the levels seen at the start of the coronavirus pandemic – in April 2020, there were 4,309 visits to A&E at sites run by Southport and Ormskirk Hospital.

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 19% were via minor injury units.

Across England, A&E departments received 2 million visits last month.

That was a decrease of 7% compared to March, but 9% more than the 1.9 million seen during April 2021.

At Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust:

In April:

There were 275 booked appointments, up from 269 in March

Just 81% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

865 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit – 7% of patients

Of those, 201 were delayed by more than 12 hours