Drop in visits to A&E at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals last month

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

NHS England figures show 26,796 patients visited A&E at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in June.

Fewer patients visited A&E at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals last month – and attendances were lower than over the same period last year, figures reveal.

NHS England figures show 26,796 patients visited A&E at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in June.

That was a drop of 4% on the 27,930 visits recorded during May, and 1% lower than the 27,069 patients seen in June 2022.

The figures show attendances were below the levels seen two years ago – in June 2021, there were 27,195 visits to A&E departments run by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals.

Around 49% of attendances last month were via minor A&E departments – those which treat minor injuries and illnesses such as fractures, cuts and bruises.

Meanwhile, around 9% were via consultant-led departments with single specialities, such as eye conditions or dental problems.

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 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust:

In June:

59% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

1,283 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit – 5% of all arrivals

Of those, 611 were delayed by more than 12 hours