Wye Valley NHS Trust has avoided a surge in A&E attendances, which has hit other trusts across England during July’s heatwave.

Nationally record numbers of people flooded to emergency departments in July, with respiratory problems, dehydration and other illnesses associated with the hot weather.

There were almost 2.2 million attendances, 100,000 more people than in July 2017, which NHS England said was an "unprecedented summer surge”.

But at Wye Valley NHS Trust the number of people attending A&E dropped. Last month 5,877 patients visited the trust’s emergency departments, 1,409 fewer than July 2017.

An NHS England spokesman said: "As temperatures soared, the NHS saw an unprecedented summer surge last month with a record 2.2 million patients attending A&E, and, thanks to the hard work of staff, nine in 10 people were seen, treated and admitted or discharged within four hours."

At Wye Valley NHS Trust 73.8% of people were seen, treated and admitted or discharged the four hour target period.

That’s down on July 2017 when 84% were dealt with in four hours.

Hospitals are supposed to admit or discharge 95% of patients within the target time. Three years ago 90.2% were seen within four hours.

Health bosses said the record breaking heatwave was similar to pressures faced by the NHS during winter.