WAITING time targets at Grimsby's A&E have been missed during two months this year, new data has revealed.
Health bosses are urging people not to attend the accident and emergency service at Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital unless it is absolutely necessary as demands are currently high.
A&E units are expected to treat 95 per cent of patients within four hours, but NHS figures from Grimsby show this target was missed in both January and March.
At the beginning of the year, 92.7 per cent of patients were treated within four hours – out of 4,571 patients in total.
However, the department's waiting time targets were reached during February when numbers fell to 4,196.
But a high demand was recorded again in March, with 4,595 patients attending, which meant 93.9 per cent of people were seen in the four hours.
According to health bosses at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, it is meeting yearly targets.
They also urge people to think twice about the health services they need as GP surgeries can treat minor issues.
Angie Smithson, director of operations at the trust, said: "Our staff are working extremely hard under increasingly difficult circumstances to ensure that people who attend the department are treated in a timely manner.
"I can reassure members of the community that patient safety remains our priority and we are doing everything we can to address this.
"We do experience peaks in demand on our inpatient services on occasions.
"Our operation centre teams work with consultants, matrons, ward managers and senior managers across the hospital and community to ensure we can accommodate the patients coming through our doors.
"We also look to GP colleagues, nursing and residential homes for support.
"I'd like to thank all of our staff for their hard work during this peak time."
People are also urged not to attend or visit the hospital if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the past few days.
The consequences of patients catching this highly infectious disease can be serious, both for them and for other patients and staff.
People are asked to only use the accident and emergency (A&E) department at Grimsby Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital if absolutely necessary and to consider other, more appropriate options for minor ailments or injuries. Help and advice is available at: Your GP Your GP out-of-hours service – for North East Lincolnshire, call 01472 256222; Grimsby walk-in centre, open 8am-8pm, call 01472 344608 on Cleethorpes Road, Grimsby. Your high-street pharmacy NHS Direct, call 0845 4647 NHS Choices website, visit www.nhs.co.uk Call the NHS 111 service
