Almost 500 more visits recorded in February than two years ago

New figures provided by the NHS show the under-threat A&E department at Charing Cross Hospital is busier than ever, recording almost 500 more patient visits in February than the same month two years ago.

3,289 were people seen by the department during the month – an increase of 493 on February 2015.

This continues a trend which saw patient numbers in each of the three preceding months up by more than a quarter over the same period two years before.

Altogether, over the last four months, Charing Cross Hospital's A&E has seen 3,000 more patients than in the corresponding period two years ago – or an average increase of 24 cases every day.

Despite this, future NHS plans may see the downgrading of A&E departments at both Charing Cross and Ealing Hospitals. The A&E at Hammersmith Hospital in Shepherd's Bush has already been downgraded.

"The dedicated staff at Charing Cross Hospital continue to deal with more patients than ever before, while the threat of the axe hangs over this much needed resource," said Hammersmith & Fulham Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Cowan.

"There is no logic at all behind the plan to downgrade the hospital, and remove its A&E department, when figures from the trust show that the borough has never needed it's medical expertise and care more than now."

March 31, 2017