More people visit A&E at Bedford Hospital as demand rises

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

NHS England figures show 26,777 patients visited A&E at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in June.

That was a rise of 11% on the 24,116 visits recorded during May, and 15% more than the 23,353 patients seen in June 2022.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen two years ago – in June 2021, there were 21,262 visits to A&E departments run by Bedfordshire Hospitals Trust.

Unfortunately there is no further breakdown between the trusts two hospitals – Bedford and Luton & Dunstable.

Most attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 30% were via minor injury units.

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month – down a bit from May, but slightly above the number of visits seen in June 2022.

The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted was 26,531 in June, down 16% from 31,494 in May. The figure hit a record 54,573 in December 2022.

It comes as junior doctors have begun their five-day walk out in what is the longest spell of industrial action in the history.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: "Every new month brings more evidence of record demand across many areas of NHS care with staff experiencing the busiest June ever for A&E attendances, no doubt exacerbated by the record high temperatures experienced for that month.

"This ongoing pressure on services is precisely why it is so important to highlight that staff continue to make progress in reducing the longest waits for care despite strikes, high demand, and bank holiday weekends."

At Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in June:

There were 1,043 booked appointments, down from 1,054 in May

77% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

One patient waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit– less than 0.5% of all arrivals