The accident and emergency unit at Airedale Hospital is meeting national treatment guidelines despite dealing with a significant rise in patients in the last year, new figures show.

For most of the year, the unit achieved the target of treating 95 per cent of patients within four hours.

However there were a few weeks in April and May when its performance dropped to seeing 80 per cent of patients within four hours.

Ann Wagner, director of strategy and business development at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said it wanted to apologise to patients who experienced delays at its A&E in April and May.

She said: “One factor that has helped relieve some of the pressures on our A&E department is our tele- medicine service.

“Specialist video technology has been installed into a number of nursing and residential care homes and is supported by nurses and consultants.

“Carers in the homes are able to speak to an experienced nurse and get advice.

“It has helped to reduce hospital admissions by 45 per cent and A&E attendances by 69 per cent when comparing homes with and without the telemedicine service over the last 12 months.”