Just over half of the people attending A&E in Dorchester are being seen within NHS target times - well below the national average.

Of those who visited the emergency department at Dorset County Hospital (DCH) last year, only 53.4% were seen within four hours, the latest figures show.

The NHS target is for patients to be seen within four hours, and in total, only 27,402 were seen within that timeframe out of 51,310 between April 2022 and March 2023.

This is a decrease from the previous year when 64.1%, or 32,076 of 50,029 people attending A&E where seen to within four hours.

However, in the short term DCH is still looking to improve the existing emergency department and says the improvements already made have improved waiting times for 2023/24.

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This compares to the national average in the UK of 70.8% of people spending four hours or less in emergency departments in the 2022/23 period, which fell from 76.7% in 2021/22.

The Echo contacted DCH regarding these figures and asked what had caused the increase in people waiting longer at A&E and what was being done to improve them.

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A spokesperson said: “Our emergency department (ED) has been under immense pressure with unprecedented numbers of patients attending, mirroring the national situation.

“Our ED and wider hospital teams have been doing a fantastic job managing a challenging situation and we are incredibly proud of their ongoing hard work and dedication. Patients are prioritised so those who need us most are seen most urgently.

“Despite the ongoing pressure, our ambulance handover times continue to be the best in the region.”

Currently, there is a multi-million pound investment taking place at the Dorchester site where an extension of the emergency department is being constructed.

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In the long term it is hoped this will help to alleviate the problems of increased number of patients requiring the service.

However, in the short term DCH is still looking to improve the existing emergency department and says the improvements already made have improved waiting times for 2023/24.

The spokesperson added: “We have made some improvements to our existing ED that will help increase our capacity in the short-term and also pave the way for bigger plans to expand the hospital over the upcoming years.

"These improvements are already evident in the waiting times for 2023/24, which are showing improvement on the year 2022/23, despite further increases in demand.

“We are continuing to work with our system partners to improve patient flow, experience and care.

“We ask the public to only use our emergency department for serious or life-threatening injuries and to make use of alternative local health services, including Minor Injuries Units and Weymouth’s Urgent Treatment Centre.

"If you are unsure about where to go, please call NHS 111 or use NHS 111 online.”