ELEVEN patients waited more than 12 hours for a bed at the accident and emergency departments of two North Yorkshire hospitals in December, new figures have shown.

They were among 519 patients who waited more than than the national target time of four hours to be admitted, transferred or discharged at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s A and E departments at York Hospital and Scarborough Hospital.

That left only 81.1 per cent of patients being dealt with within the target time, compared to a national average in December of 86.2 per cent and the national target of 95 per cent.

A York Trust spokeswoman said that, as was the case up and down the country, its services were in high demand in December, with an increase in attendances to both of emergency departments and a need to admit an increased number of patients who were acutely unwell.

“The increased attendance and severity of illness of patients during the last week of December were the highest number seen within the last three years, and the Trust’s ability to divert was limited due to the local and national pressures,” she said.

“Our winter plans are designed to help us to be resilient during what is always a time of increased pressure.”