New figures have revealed the busiest and quietest times at Royal Bolton A&E, amid long running pressures faced by the department.
According to the NHS figures, the worst possible time to visit the Accident and Emergency ward is the early hours of Tuesday morning, when would-be patients can expect to wait nearly six hours.
This with the hospital having spend much of the last year encouraging people to avoid A&E unless it is strictly necessary to try and relieve some of the pressure.
Bolton NHS Trust chief operating officer Rae Wheatcroft said: “We are always here for anyone who has an urgent or emergency need but ask anyone who does not need emergency care to think twice about where best to find the care they need.
“Patients who attend our emergency department who do not need emergency help may wait longer than either they, or us, would want them to.
“For anyone who is unsure which service they need, NHS 111 online or by phone provides expert advice and will ensure you receive the right treatment and care.
“We recognise how difficult it is for our staff who are working incredibly hard to look after patients in the emergency department and we continue to offer health and well-being support to them all during these challenging times.”
According to NHS digital figures for the year up to last March, patients who waited an average of five hours and 54 minutes to be either admitted as an inpatient, discharged or transferred at the busiest time, between 1am and 2am on Tuesday.
But Monday was the worst overall day to visit, with patients waiting on average just over four hours.
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By contrast the shortest waits were between 10am and 11am on Sundays, when patients waited an average of two hours and 52 minutes.
Overall, Fridays and Saturdays were the best days to visit, with averaging waiting times just three hours and 52 minutes.
In order to ease some of the pressure, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has recommended that people make use of other options and services including calling 111 or visiting GPs, out of our services and pharmacies.
A similar picture emerged across England as a whole, where just under a third patients have had to wait more than four hours to be seen at A&E.
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