Nearly 300 children's operations were cancelled at hospitals across East Lancashire last year

Figures also show bed occupancy was at 99.4 per cent during peak times in winter with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust having to issue patient safety alerts on 25 occasions.

The data released by NHS England and confirmed by the East Lancashire Hospital NHS Trust shows 293 children's operations were cancelled for the financial year 2016/17.

Burnley MP Julie Cooper described the situation as 'truly shocking'.

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Hospital bosses said in most cases operations were not cancelled because a bed was unavailable. However, there were times when medical emergencies did need to take priority, although cancellations were 'never taken lightly'.

Between December 1 and March 12 the Trust issued the second highest pressure alerts on 25 occasions, according to the figures shared by shadow health minister, Mrs Cooper.

She said: "These alerts signal that the local health and social care system is experiencing major pressure, compromising patient flow and it is continuing to increase so there is a danger of patient care and safety being compromised.

"293 children’s operations had to be cancelled locally, a truly shocking situation."

Mrs Cooper said the government must give the NHS the support it urgently needed.

She said: "Of course the data only shows what many of us saw in the corridors of A&E departments with our own eyes, a system straining at the seams, but staffed by the most hardworking and dedicated professionals battling with an impossible tasks.

"The staff recruitment crisis has since worsened due to Government policies, so the situation can only get worse without urgent intervention."

Russ McLean, chairman of the Pennine Lancashire Patient Voices Group, said the figure was 'alarming'.

He said: "We have also had the junior doctors strike so that may have had an impact on children's operations as well.

"I can accept the fact that there will be parents who for one reason or another may have had a reason to cancel but 293 is a hell of a lot."

Cllr Azhar Ali, former cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Lancashire County Council, described the figures as 'high'.

He said: "There's various reasons for it, but one, is the lack of capacity because of pressure on beds.

"If there are no beds available people cannot operate.

"The trust has a good record with hard working staff and management but they can only work within the resources they are given. A lot of it is down to funding.

"More money should be put in to the system so patients, whether children or adults, do not have to go through the trauma and stress of cancellations."

The trust has more than 900 beds across Burnley General and Royal Blackburn hospitals.

Royal Blackburn, which is home to the area's only accident and emergency department, also hit the headlines in February after TV crews were granted rare access to film the wards during one of the busiest winters on record.

Dr Damian Riley, medical director at ETHE Trust, said: "We do sympathise with the frustration felt by families, but there are times when medical emergencies have to take priority over elective (planned) operations, as well as occasions when operations are cancelled for reasons beyond our control.

He added: "We want to be clear that when it was necessary for the Trust to postpone an operation, in most cases this was not due to a bed being unavailable.

"The decision to cancel an operation is never taken lightly, even more so when that patient is a child.

"What is classified as a ‘cancellation’ is often in fact an administrative change that does not inconvenience the patient and, in some cases, is made at the request of the patient or family.

"Overall, during 2017 more than nine out of 10 patients received surgery and/or treatment within the 18-week period allowed following referral by their GP."