By Covid-19 sees A&E visits in England down to record low
A&E visits in England have halved since the coronavirus outbreak started, dropping to their lowest level since records began.
Before the pandemic, about two million patients a month were visiting A&E.
But, in April that figure dropped to 916,581.
NHS bosses have said they are extremely concerned that seriously ill patients are being put off seeking treatment.
There have also been reports of people with long-term conditions missing essential appointments, which may put them at risk.
Drops in cancer referrals and routine operations were also seen as services were scaled back and staff redeployed.
Health experts expect it to take months to get the NHS back to normal, and to tackle the backlog of referrals.
NHS officials are urging people not to put of seeking medical attention if they feel it is necessary.
This drop in A&E visits is the lowest since records began in 2010.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, more than 2.1 million patients a month were visiting A&E.
In March that dropped to around 1.53 million.
There is particular concern that patients who have suffered strokes and heart problems have stayed away because of fears over coronavirus.
NHS England clinical director for stroke Dr Deb Lowe said she and her fellow doctors were “really worried” that the numbers seeking help for stroke care had gone down.
In March, hospitals were told to start stopping routine care to free up beds for the coronavirus peak.
Community services have also had to be scaled back as staff have been redeployed and face-to-face contact has had to be restricted.
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