City hospitals stretched by the big freeze

Thousands of patients missed appointments and the number of elderly people attending casualty departments with broken bones from falls rocketed.

Health chiefs said queues at accident and emergency at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary seemed at times "never ending", and paid tribute to staff.

Latest figures from NHS Lothian reveal that the total number of A&E patients rose by more than 10 per cent on the same period last year. Admissions for orthopaedic patients – mainly those with broken bones – jumped by almost half in that time, while there were almost 4,000 falls which required hospital care, up from 3,000 last December.

There was also double the number of patients who fractured the top of their thigh bone, a common problem for elderly women who fall or slip, with around seven people a day attending hospital.

Health board bosses added that there was a hike in those suffering respiratory problems as a result of prolonged very cold weather, while the pressure of missed appointments reached almost crisis point with 5,000 unable to attend.

Jackie Sansbury, the director of strategic planning and modernisation, said: "We had the largest ever number of people coming through the doors at A&E but still managed to hit a target of 97 per cent seen within four hours.

"It wasn't just in hospitals where a fantastic effort was made, it was across the board."

The worst of the weather occurred between 21 December and 10 January as the Capital experienced the lowest temperatures in years.

It is understood NHS Lothian worked closely with all four Lothians local authorities to ensure enough grit was available and roads leading up to hospitals and health centres were cleared.

Director of human resources Alan Boyter said there were countless examples of staff going beyond the call of duty to reach their workplace.

He said some abandoned their cars on the M8 and walked to St John's Hospital, while others stayed overnight at their workplace to ensure enough people were in for the next shift, and others booked themselves in to local hotels.

He told Wednesday's NHS Lothian board meeting: "Significant efforts were made by so many, it would be unfair to name any one individual. I'm pleased to tell the board members of this because their dedication meant we could continue to provide services across the Lothians."

• www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk