MORE patients visited A&E at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay last month, with demand rising well above the levels seen during the first national lockdown last year.

NHS England figures show 9,854 patients visited A&E at University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust in April.

That was a rise of 15 per cent on the 8,545 visits recorded during March, and more than double the 4,472 patients seen in April the previous year.

The figures show attendances were below the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in April 2019, there were 10,261 visits to A&E at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay.

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 19 per cent were via minor injury units.

Across England, A&E departments received 1.9 million visits last month.

That was an increase of 11 per cent compared to March, and more than double the 916,600 seen during April 2020 – a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for that month as more people avoided hospitals during the early days of the pandemic.