A SURGE in demand at East Lancashire’s accident and emergency ward saw the number of patients rise by nearly 20 per cent at the weekend.

Patients were left waiting on trolleys at times as the casualty ward battled to meet the demand over Saturday and Sunday.

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But hospital bosses have praised A&E medics for their efforts in tackling the unexpected spike in demand at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Kevin McGee, the hospital trust’s chief executive, said: “We have had a really busy weekend. Where normally we would see between 400 and 500 patients, that has been approaching 600 patients.

“That has been a massive increase but what we would always look to do is treat patients with care and dignity.”

He praised staff for their efforts in ensuring that both patients and staff were treated as quickly and professionally as possible.

Trust medical director Dr Damian Riley also told a recent board meeting that the number of attendances at the casualty department was not the only issue.

Ongoing difficulties with discharging some elderly and vulnerable patients into appropriate care settings was also presenting problems with patient flows, he said.

Dr Riley said there had also been increased demand pressures on the health service in primary care settings, such as medical centres and GP surgeries.

The difficulties with having to treat patients on trolleys in the emergency and urgent care departments has remained on the trust’s corporate risk register for some time.

Board members were informed last week that there had been 28 patient trolley waits or 12 hours or more since November.

For the first few months there were only just two or three incidents per month.

But in July and August alone, there were seven and nine respectively, recorded by staff.

Last week the Lancashire Telegraph reported how Mr McGee would be heading up a new A&E board, which will meet for the first time this week, examining how the hospital can meet four-hour waiting targets and improve efficiency within the unit.

The trust is also awaiting the arrival of 18 extra doctors from India to work in the emergency department and acute medical unit at the Royal Blackburn, which was announced recently.

The trust’s human resources department conducted a recruitment drive on the sub-continent earlier this year.