Patient visits to A&E hits ‘record low in coronavirus lockdown’ – as stats show people STILL staying away

A&E emergency admissions are “at a record low” as patients are still staying away during the coronavirus lockdown, new figures show. A total of 1.3 million attendances were recorded in May 2020, down from 2.2 million attendances in May last year. NHS England, which published the figures, said the fall was “likely to be a […]

A&E emergency admissions are “at a record low” as patients are still staying away during the coronavirus lockdown, new figures show.

A total of 1.3 million attendances were recorded in May 2020, down from 2.2 million attendances in May last year.

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A&E admissions are at a ‘record low’ due to the coronavirus crisis, figures suggest[/caption]

NHS England, which published the figures, said the fall was “likely to be a result of the Covid-19 response” – an indication that people have continued to stay away from A&E departments because of the outbreak.

The year-on-year drop in A&E attendances of 42 per cent in May compares with a fall of 57 per cent recorded in April.

Emergency admissions to A&E departments at hospitals in England also showed a fall last month, down 27 per cent from 547,382 in May 2019 to 398,407 in May 2020.

This is the second lowest number reported for any calendar month since current records began in August 2010.

NHS England again said this was likely to be a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak.

Cancer delays

Meanwhile, many have had cancer treatment delayed due to the pandemic.

Chemo buses are now travelling across England delivering treatment to sick Brits near their homes.

The mobile units can deliver the drugs in hospital and supermarket car parks to help patients avoid crowded wards.

NHS bosses are keen to make cancer care as convenient as possible during the Covid crisis.

One London trust has also put in drive-through chemotherapy pods where patients remain in their car until they are called to have therapy.

There has also been fastrack rollout of a speedier form of radiotherapy that requires fewer than a quarter of the hospital visits.

Although some cancer treatments have been delayed due to the Covid crisis, almost 30,000 people started therapy in March.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive said: “While the NHS has pulled out all the stops to care for nearly 100,000 older and vulnerable patients who have needed emergency hospital treatment for Covid, staff have also worked hard to sustain other services including A&E, maternity care and treatment for urgent and emergency conditions.

“Hospitals are going to great lengths to deliver care and treatment for patients in a safe space, from online consultations to chemo buses and Covid-free surgical hubs.”

Sara Bainbridge, Head of Policy and Influence at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “These innovations are welcome, and will play a role in getting cancer care back on track.

“However, many thousands of people across the country have had their care disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, at what is already an incredibly anxious time for many people living with cancer.

“We cannot afford for cancer to become the ‘forgotten C’ in this pandemic.”