The A&E at Great Western Hospital has faced enormous pressure in recent weeks, with demand rising above the levels seen over the same time last year.

NHS England figures show 10,291 patients went to the emergency department in May - a rise of 12 per cent on the 9,201 visits recorded during April and 49 percent more than the 6,905 patients seen in May 2020.

But figures show attendances were below the levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic. In May 2019, there were 12,228 visits.

A GWH spokeswoman said: “Our urgent and emergency services have been extremely busy in recent weeks and our staff have worked really hard to assess and treat patients as quickly as possible. We would continue to urge the public to consider other healthcare options in Swindon and Wiltshire, and to always dial 111 in the first instance if you need medical advice.”

The majority of attendances last month were via major A&E departments – those with full resuscitation equipment and 24-hour consultant-led care – while 46 per cent were via minor injury units.

There were 580 booked appointments in May, up from 479 in April, and 80 per cent of arrivals were seen within four hours, against an NHS target of 95 per cent. A total of 477 patients waited longer than four hours for treatment following a decision to admit. Of those, seven were delayed by more than 12 hours.

ED matron Natalie Lawrence said last week: “Please help us to ensure we can treat all of our patients as quickly and safely as possible by only coming to the Emergency Department if you really need to.”

Across England, A&E departments received 2.1 million visits last month, an increase of 11 per cent compared to April, and 65 per cent more than the 1.3 million seen in May 2020 – a reflection of lower-than-usual numbers for that month as more people avoided hospitals early in the pandemic.