MORE patients visited A&E at Dorset County Hospital last month, with demand rising above the levels seen over the same period last year.

NHS England figures show 6,900 patients visited A&E at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in June.

That was a rise of 2% on the 6,732 visits recorded during May, and 24% more than the 5,562 patients seen in June 2020.

The figures show attendances were below the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in June 2019, there were 8,702 visits to A&E at Dorset County Hospital.

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 31% were via minor injury units.

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

That was an increase of 4% compared to May, and 53% more than the 1.4 million seen during June 2020 – a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for that month as more people avoided hospitals during the early days of the pandemic.

At Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in June, there were 41 booked appointments, down from 85 in May. A total of 80% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

Forty patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit