Rise in visits to A&E at Moorfields Eye Hospital

An accident and emergency sign outside Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, where Lalene Malik, 23, went to A&E with stomach cramps on March 26 and gave birth to her baby in the toilets, having not known she was pregant and with no outward physical signs of pregnancy. Picture date: Wednesday April 13, 2022.

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

NHS England figures show 5,886 patients visited A&E at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in May.

That was a rise of 10% on the 5,361 visits recorded during April, and 26% more than the 4,685 patients seen in May 2021.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen at the start of the coronavirus pandemic – in May 2020, there were 4,791 visits to A&E at sites run by Moorfields Eye Hospital.

All of last month's attendances 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.

That was an increase of 8% compared to April, and 5% more than the 2.1 million seen during May 2021.