THE trust that runs Basingstoke hospital said an increasing number of patients visiting its emergency department and the impact of Covid has resulted in longer waiting times.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) was responding to an article which revealed that thousands of patients visiting Basingstoke hospital’s emergency department were having to wait longer than four hours to be seen.

Figures published by HHFT showed that it failed to hit its target for A&E waiting times for the last year.

Read more: Thousands of patients waiting hours at Basingstoke hospital's emergency department

A spokeswoman for the trust said: “Our hospitals have continued to face significant levels of demand in recent months and we have seen an increasing number of patients coming through the doors of our emergency departments.

“We are also seeing a rise in attendances of patients who are particularly unwell across our sites. This, alongside the ongoing impact of Covid-19, has unfortunately meant that waiting times in our emergency departments have, on occasion, been longer than we would hope to see.

“As a trust we are committed to ensuring all patients receive the care they need and all our teams are continuing to work incredibly hard to deliver this.”

The trust urged people to call 111 for advice or speak to a GP or pharmacy before visiting hospital.

The spokeswoman added: “It’s important to remember that your NHS is always here for you and if you have a life-threatening emergency or are in need of urgent care, you should always dial 999.”

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