MORE patients visited A&E at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust last month, with demand rising above the levels seen in March last year.

NHS England figures show 13,928 patients visited A&E at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in March.

That was a rise of 36 per cent on the 10,248 visits recorded during February, and 10 per cent more than the 12,642 patients seen in March the previous year.

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 22 per cent were minor injury units.

Across England, A&E departments received 1.7 million visits last month, up 32 per cent compared to February, and 10 per cent more than the 1.5 million in March 2020.

In Worcestershire in March 2021, there were 603 booked appointments, up from 386 in February. 81 per cent of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95 per cent.