More patients visiting A&E departments at region's hospitals

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month – in line with the previous month of June.

Three of the hospital trusts in the region saw a rise in visitors in July – while two, the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare Trust, saw a drop in visitors.

But it was 36 per cent more than the 1.6 million seen during July 2020.

NHS England figures show 23,490 patients visited A&E at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust in July – a rise of two per cent on the 22,934 visits recorded in June. It was also 67 per cent more than 14,065 patients seen last July.

A total of 23,344 visited University of Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust's A&E department last month – a rise of two per cent on the 22,975 visits recorded during June. It was also 26 per cent more than the 18,471 seen in July 2020.

And at the A&E department at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, there were 17,224 patients recorded in July – a slight rise from the 17,196 visits recorded the previous month. It was also 40 per cent more than 12,330 patients seen last July.

However there was a drop in patient visits at two of the region's hospital trusts.

The NHS England figures show 21,127 patients visited A&E at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in July – a drop of three per cent on the 21,687 visits recorded during June. But it was 48 per cent more than the 14,297 patients seen in July 2020.

The figures show attendances were below the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in July 2019, there were 21,761 visits to A&E at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

And 12,110 patients visited the department at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust last month – a slight drop from the 12,157 visits recorded during June. But it was 41 per cent more than 8,577 patients seen in July last year.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in July 2019, there were 11,741 visits to A&E at Walsall Healthcare.