HOSPITAL managers have revealed the scale of the pressure they have faced so far this winter - but have predicted that the worst is over.

Almost 3,000 patients were admitted as emergencies to hospitals in Blackburn between December 11 and January 6 - 115 more than the same period last year - and there were 1,667 medical emergencies, an average of 60 daily.

More than 4,750 patients attended casualty in the same period compared with 4,628 last year.

John Thomas, chief executive of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, said: "While the contingency planning and implementation of winter pressure initiatives were important factors in enabling the trust to successfully meet the demand for emergency care, there is no doubt that the key factor was the tremendous commitment of all staff to ensure that patients in need were admitted and cared for.

"Over Christmas and New Year I visited the accident and emergency department and most wards at Queen's Park Hospital and Blackburn Infirmary. What impressed me most was was the determination and professionalism of all the staff I met, to provide the highest possible care under what were, in many cases, difficult circumstances."

He said medical emergencies had now fallen to routine winter levels. Routine elective surgery, which was postponed over the festive period, resumed on January 12.

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