THE accident and emergency department of the Royal Bolton Hospital had the busiest New Year on record.
Ambulance services were also put under pressure as emergency cases shot up during the weekend of New Year festivities.
Figures show 1,269 patients were treated at the Royal Bolton casualty ward between December 30 and January 2.
On Saturday, December 30, 337 patients were admitted - more than 100 above the numbers admitted on the same date in 2005.
A further 272 people were treated on New Year's Eve, 344 on New Year's Day and 316 on January 2.
Lesley Doherty, director of nursing and performance at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "The figures show the sort of pressure the hospital comes under from time to time."
Ambulance services were also on high alert during the New Year weekend.
Between December 29 and 31, more than 300 patients arrived at the Royal Bolton Hospital by ambulance.
Across Greater Manchester, there were five per cent more emergency calls made between Christmas Eve and January 1 than in 2005.
North-west Ambulance Service answered 1,967 emergency calls between 7pm on New Year's Eve and 7am on New Year's Day, compared with 1,881 in the same period last year.
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