Drop in visits to A&E at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals last month

General view of an Accident and Emergency Sign at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

Fewer patients visited A&E at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals last month – and attendances were lower than over the same period last year, figures reveal.

NHS England figures show 14,494 patients visited A&E at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in April.

That was a drop of 8% on the 15,757 visits recorded during March, and 6% lower than the 15,402 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 7,169 visits to A&E at sites run by St Helens and Knowsley 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 34% 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 St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust:

In April:

There were 147 booked appointments, down from 162 in March

Just 67% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

318 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit – 2% of patients