MORE patients visited A&E at Bradford Teaching Hospitals last month, with a 40 per cent increase on last year, new figures reveal.

NHS England data shows that 13,379 patients visited A&E at Bradford hospitals in July, a number which was up by 40 per cent from July 2020, and up by six per cent on the 12,584 visits recorded during June.

All of last month's attendances at Bradford Teaching Hospitals were via major A&E departments - those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care.

76 per cent of July's patients were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95 per cent.

733 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment, while separate data reveals that, in June, the median time to treatment was 91 minutes, and around 7 per cent of patients left before being treated.

More patients also visited A&E at Airedale Hospital last month. NHS England figures show that 6,895 patients visited A&E there in July - a rise of 37 per cent on the previous year, and up by 3 per cent from the previous month.

72 per cent of arrivals at Airedale were seen within four hours, while in June, the median time to treatment at the hospital was 75 minutes.

Around 8 per cent of patients at the hospital left before being treated.

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month, which was 36 per cent more than the 1.6 million seen during July 2020.

A spokesperson for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our A&E department is currently very busy, and people with less urgent issues are experiencing longer waiting times.

“We’re also seeing a sudden surge in young children with respiratory infections usually only seen in winter. The rise in out-of-season cases, in line with similar increases across the country, comes after there were far fewer infections during winter due to Covid-19 restrictions put in place, so many children will not have developed immunity.

“We’re asking everyone to think carefully before coming to A&E. People can really help by making sure that if they do choose to come to A&E for treatment, that it is the best place for them to go to get the right care, as soon as possible. Our Emergency Department is for accidents and emergencies only, such as severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, significant head injuries and broken bones.

“Using an alternative to A&E when you aren’t seriously ill - such as calling NHS 111, consulting your GP or visiting your local pharmacist could mean that you end up waiting less time to receive care.”

West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership added that hospitals across the region were seeing an increase in demand, due to a "significant" rise in the number of Covid-19 patients.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Partnership said: "Hospitals across West Yorkshire and Harrogate are continuing to see significant increases in Covid-19 patients, and are asking the public to be patient while they deal with this surge in demand.

"Since the end of May, when there 42 Covid-19 patients across the six hospital trusts that work together as the WYAAT (the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts).

"Figures released on 12 August show there are 308 people receiving treatment across our hospitals, with 32 of those currently in intensive care units.

"This additional demand means we are prioritising those in the most urgent medical need, and the time you may wait at an emergency department for more minor treatment could be impacted, and you may have to wait longer than anticipated.

"Please also remember that while restrictions have been recently lifted, there has been no change to the requirement to wear face masks and observe social distancing in hospitals and other clinical settings. This is to help protect vulnerable patients and ensure our staff can continue to work in order to meet the significant demand facing the NHS."

Meanwhile, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard has encouraged people with potential cancer symptoms to come forward for lifesaving checks.

She said: “it’s incredibly important that people recognise the common symptoms that can signal a cancer diagnosis. It’s vital they take action by making an appointment with their GP, that could ultimately save their life.”