MORE patients visited A&E at Bradford Royal Infirmary last month, with demand rising above the levels seen over the same period last year.

NHS England figures show 12,483 patients visited A&E at BRI, run by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in May.

That was a rise of 8% on the 11,534 visits recorded during April, and 60% more than the 7,796 patients seen in May 2020.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic – in May 2019, there were 11,530 visits to A&E at Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

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

Across England, A&E departments received 2.1 million visits last month.

That was an increase of 11% compared to April, and 65% more than the 1.3 million seen during May 2020 – a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for that month as more people avoided hospitals during the early days of the pandemic.

At Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:

In May:

l84% of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95%

l438 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit