East Lancashire: Hospital trust sees record number of A&E patients

A hospital trust is urging people to think before seeking emergency care after seeing a record number of almost 800 patients in one day.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust runs the accident and emergency (A&E) unit at Royal Blackburn Hospital and services in Burnley, Accrington and Rossendale.

A total of 787 people sought help across its units on Monday, it said.

The trust said there were "longer waits" than it would like.

It wanted to make sure emergency services were available for those seriously ill or injured, it added.

Deputy Chief Executive Sharon Gilligan, said: "This is the highest number of people to come through our doors at A&E in a single day, ever.

She added: "The team is working tirelessly to provide safe, personal and effective care and get people treated and home as quickly as possible, but yesterday there were longer waits than we would have liked due to the high number of really sick patients.

"It is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward as normal, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases, when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk."

As well as the A&E unit at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, the trust offers urgent care centres at Blackburn and at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, as well as minor injuries units at Accrington Victoria Hospital and Rossendale Health Centre.

Ms Gilligan said people should make best use of GP surgeries, pharmacies and NHS 111 when an illness is not life-threatening.

The trust said it had put plans in place to manage industrial action being taken by junior doctors in a dispute over pay.

It said some planned appointments and procedures may be cancelled and there could be longer waiting times than usual.

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