LOCAL MP Wera Hobhouse visited the accident and emergency department of Bath’s Royal United Hospital (RUH) to celebrate the ‘incredible’ staff working there.

The Bath MP was given a tour by senior matron Tracey Thorn, who spoke of the significant pressures the department has been facing due to a sustained increase in demand for urgent and emergency care.

An early and challenging flu season and prolonged cold snap after Christmas have contributed to increased illness in the community.

Analysis of NHS figures shows A&E attendances at the trust hit 17,521 in June and July last year, an increase of more than 48 per cent on a decade ago.

The huge increase in A&E attendances is in part attributable to the difficulty many patients experience in trying to make a GP appointment.

Locally, in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire (BSW) region, waits of more than two weeks have increased by 101 per cent from 497,427 in 2020 to 1,002,021 last year.

Waits of more than 28 days for an appointment have increased by 89 per cent to 321,299 for the same period.

Previous analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research found one in eight of those who could not get a GP appointment went to A&E instead.

Ms Hobhouse also heard how the increase in demand was also due to the new ‘Withdraw at 45 Minutes’ protocol which aims to ensure patient handover from ambulance crew to emergency department staff is completed within 15 minutes, but no later than 45 minutes.

She was told how it was devised with the aim of reducing the wait for ambulance services but had presented new challenges for the RUH A&E which was struggling with skyrocketing levels of attendance and out-of-date infrastructure.

In January in particular, the RUH experienced peak demand, yet, despite difficult conditions, Ms Hobhouse heard of the unwavering dedication of staff, working harder than ever for their patients.

Ms Thorn, a senior matron in the emergency department, said: “I could not be prouder of our A&E team here at the RUH.

“This winter has been one of the most challenging we have seen and they have worked tirelessly to cope with the huge demand for treatment.

“This effort is testament to their incredible dedication to their patients and colleagues.”

Ms Hobhouse said: “The incredibly hardworking staff at the RUH are doing their best under these challenging circumstances, which are completely beyond their control.

“Our emergency teams are suffering an emergency of their own.

“But, things will not change unless we fix the problem in primary care.

“Far too many people are struggling to get a GP appointment when they need one, leaving them waiting anxiously for the care they deserve and all too often resorting to A&E to get treatment.”

A ‘GP Guarantee’ campaign by the Liberal Democrats wants everybody to have the right to see a doctor within seven days, or within 24 hours if it is urgent.