MORE than 1,400 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to visit A&E at the York trust last month, new figures confirm.

The data from NHS England shows that 1,415 patients waited for more than four hours in the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's emergency departments in October. Of those, 81 were delayed by more than 12 hours.

A spokesperson for the trust said that every part of the health service is facing high levels of demand - and they apologised that this is resulting in some patients waiting longer to be seen.

The spokesperson said: "Our hospitals in both York and Scarborough remain extremely busy, with activity rising in recent months to pre-Covid levels.

"At the same time, our staff are also working hard to tackle the backlog of patients needing planned treatment as well as emergency cases, while we continue to care for patients with Covid-19.

"These factors all have an impact on our bed capacity and contribute to the overall pressures, including waiting times in the emergency department."

There has also been a rise in the number of people visiting A&E at the trust in recent months, as over 19,000 patients visited in October - a rise of 35 per cent compared to the 14,254 patients seen in October 2020 and a two per cent on the 18,813 visits during September.

The NHS figures show attendances were above the levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic – as in October 2019, there were 18,800 visits to A&E at the York trust.

The spokesperson for the York trust said it was urging people to help by using alternatives such as NHS 111 if they are unsure whether to go to the emergency department, as this will ensure that when people need help they are guided to best possible care and treatment for their needs.

The spokesperson added: "Patients are prioritised based on clinical urgency, so if you are not seriously ill the emergency department is not be the best place for you to get the treatment you need and this means you may wait for a long time.

"NHS 111 is available by calling 111, free on landlines and mobiles, or by going online to 111.nhs.uk."

The majority of hospital attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 44 per cent were via minor injury units.

Meanwhile, around two per cent were via consultant-led departments with single specialties, such as eye conditions or dental problems.

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month - 36 per cent more than the 1.6 million seen during the same period last year.