'Record patient levels' at A&E after hospital warning to stay away over Bank Holiday weekend

Emergency health services across Greater Manchester have faced a 'very pressured' Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and are bracing themselves for 'continued record levels of patients'. The resumption the regular working week follows one hospital in the region warning people to stay away from its A&E department, amid a colossal volume of patients coming through the doors.

The Royal Bolton Hospital's A&E was under severe pressure this weekend, despite having urged people to 'think carefully' days before the Bank Holiday break. Hospital spokesperson confirmed the site remained extremely busy over the weekend regardless of the pleas, and reiterated the pleas to avoid using the A&E unless absolutely necessary.

Today, April 19, other hospitals across Greater Manchester, and the North West Ambulance Service, have admitted staff spent yet another weekend under unprecedented pressure. The ever-growing numbers of patients comes as the NHS is in difficulty nationally as it deals with a huge backlog of operations delayed during the pandemic, skyrocketing Covid cases and the resulting hospitalisations, and patients whose medical conditions have grown worse in multiple lockdowns dissuading them from seeking treatment.

READ MORE:Hospital bosses warn people to stay away from A&E after a busy Easter weekend

Many pharmacies and walk-in centres remained open across Greater Manchester over the weekend, and regional NHS chiefs stressed that GP appointments were made available for those who needed them. However, patients still took to A&E, putting increased pressure on services - the likes of which saw North West Ambulance Service so concerned that bosses put on an extra '20 per cent' of vehicles and staff just to cope with the anticipated