Drop in visits to speciality departments at Moorfields Eye Hospital last month

Fewer patients visited speciality departments at Moorfields Eye Hospital last month – but attendances were higher than over the same period last year, figures reveal.

NHS England figures show 6,546 patients visited speciality departments at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in June.

That was a slight drop from the 6,577 visits recorded during May, but 10% more than the 5,934 patients seen in June 2022.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen two years ago – in June 2021, there were 5,059 visits to speciality departments run by Moorfields Eye Hospital.

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 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust:

In June:

• 99% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%