More people visited A&E at Swindon's hospital last month than they did in the same period last year, new data has revealed.

NHS England figures show 9,018 patients visited A&E at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in February.

That was a drop of 3 per cent on the 9,255 visits recorded during January, but 6 per cent more than the 8,523 patients seen in February 2022.

Meanwhile, 74 per cent of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95 per cent.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen two years ago – in February 2021, there were 6,108 visits to A&E departments run by Great Western Hospitals.

Around 50 per cent of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care.

The reasons for such rises have been somewhat explained by the local trust, with the organisation suggesting patients are not undertaking the right steps that are relevant to their scenario and severity of injury.

This is also alongside the care system being busy in general this year compared to the last, causing widespread issues that affect several areas including A&E wait times.

A spokesperson for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our urgent and emergency care services saw an increase in attendances this February compared to last year with the whole health and social care system very busy, and staff working extremely hard to care for patients.

“The new Swindon Integrated Care Alliance Coordination Centre is helping to ensure patients get care in the right place first time, which may not be an acute hospital.

“We would encourage local people to find out the most appropriate place to seek treatment by visiting 111.nhs.uk or calling NHS 111 in the first instance, where advice can be given on the best healthcare options available.”

Swindon Advertiser: Great Western Hospitals Trust have provided a response on the growing waiting times at Swindon's A&E department.Great Western Hospitals Trust have provided a response on the growing waiting times at Swindon's A&E department. (Image: Great Western Hospital)

At Great Western Hospital in February, there were 351 booked appointments which is down from 387 in January.

It is also noted that 456 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit – 5 per cent of patients and of those, 124 were delayed by more than 12 hours.

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

That was a decrease of 3 per cent compared to January, but 5 per cent more than the 1.8 million seen during February.