Rise in visits to A&E at East Kent University Hospitals Trust

More patients visited A&E at East Kent University Hospitals Trust last month, with demand rising above the levels seen over the same period last year.

NHS England figures show 23,814 patients visited A&E at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust in July.

That was a rise of 1% on the 23,633 visits recorded during June, and 4% more than the 22,942 patients seen in July 2021.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic – in July 2020, there were 16,759 visits to A&E departments run by East Kent University Hospitals Trust.

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

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month.

That was a decrease of 1% compared to June, and the same number as were seen during July 2021.

At East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust:

In July:

There were 133 booked appointments, up from 112 in June

68% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

1,908 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit – 8% of patients

Of those, 968 were delayed by more than 12 hours

Separate NHS Digital data reveals that in June:

Around 3% of patients left before being treated