AIREDALE Hospital has seen a huge surge in numbers using Accident & Emergency.

New figures show that the Steeton site had 2,990 more A&E attendances in 2015-16 compared to the previous year, putting staff and resources under unprecedented pressure.

And a busy Christmas and New Year has sparked a plea for people to only use A&E in genuine emergencies.

Currently, every patient who attends the department should be seen in four hours.

NHS Digital this week released 2015-16 figures for the length of time people spent in A&Es across the country, dubbed "duration and disposal" time charts.

They showed the average in and out time at Airedale's Emergency Department was two hours and 24 minutes compared to the national average of two hours and 40 minutes.

The percentage of patients who were in A&E for less than four hours at Airedale Hospital was 95.7 per cent, beating the 91.9 per cent average for England.

The very latest NHS England A&E figures are for October last year, when 4,852 people attended A&E at Airedale and 90.2 per cent of them were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours compared to 95.1 per cent of its patients in October 2015.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested in the House of Commons this week that patients attending A&E units with less serious problems may no longer be guaranteed to be seen in four hours.

He said while the Government was committed to maintaining the four-hour target, if the standard was to be protected it might need to be applied to only those patients with urgent needs rather than minor problems.

Dr Mark Porter, British Medical Association council chairman, said: “We already know that we have an overstretched and underfunded NHS that is failing to keep up with rising demand and these figures confirm it is getting worse year on year.

“The system is at breaking point and it’s not just our hospitals that are facing these issues – GPs are conducting millions more consultations every year while also facing a recruitment crisis.

“So far the Government has failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation. It must urgently look at the long-term funding, capacity and recruitment issues facing the system as a whole if we are to get to grips with the pressures the NHS faces year in, year out, but which are compounded during the winter months.”

Airedale Hospital's chief operating officer, Stacey Hunter, said "significant pressure" was still being experienced following the busy festive period.

"We apologise to people who have attended our Emergency Department and have had to wait longer than we would have liked due to the numbers seeking help," she said.

"All patients are asked to think carefully before coming to A&E.

"Our Emergency Department is for accidents and emergencies only, such as severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, significant head injuries and broken bones.

"Using an alternative to A&E when you aren't seriously ill – such as calling NHS 111, seeing your GP or visiting your community pharmacist – could mean that you end-up waiting less time to receive care."

She added: "I'd like to pay tribute to our staff across the hospital who are working extremely hard to cope with the increased demand.

"Many have offered to do extra shifts and I'm proud to be working with such compassionate people."

The hospital has also issued a separate plea, to visitors, to help in the fight against common winter bugs and norovirus.

Anyone who has had symptoms of diarrhoea and/or vomiting is asked not to attend A&E or visit patients in hospital until at least 48 hours after the symptoms have cleared.

And people with coughs, colds or flu-like symptoms are also urged to stay away.