MORE patients visited minor injury units at Southern Health last month, with demand rising well above the levels seen over the same period last year.

NHS England figures looking at emergency department visits show 1,747 patients visited minor injury units at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust in March.

That was a rise of 28 per cent on the 1,363 visits recorded during February, and more than double the 626 patients seen in March 2021.

The figures show attendances were above the levels seen at the start of the coronavirus pandemic – in March 2020, there were 899 visits.

READ MORE: Emergency services called to Winchester road and public thanked for their patience

All of last month's attendances were via minor injury departments – those which treat minor injuries and illnesses such as fractures, cuts and bruises.

Across England, A&E departments received 2.2 million visits last month.

That was an increase of 19 per cent compared to February, and 29 per cent more than the 1.7 million seen during March 2021.

At Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust:

In March:

More than 99 per cent of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95 per cent.

Separate NHS Digital data reveals that in February:

The median time to treatment was 47 minutes. The median average is used to ensure figures are not skewed by particularly long or short waiting times.

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story. We really appreciate your support.

Please help us to continue bringing you all the trusted news from your area by sharing this story or by following our Facebook page.