Attendance at accident and emergency departments in England plunged by more than half in April to a new record low.
Figures published by NHS England today show 900,000 A&E attendances were recorded last month, compared to 2.1 million in April 2019.
It is the lowest attendance since records began in 2010.
The Covid-19 outbreak is likely to be the main cause of the dramatic shift, as people avoid hospitals out of fear of catching coronavirus or taking up NHS time and resources.
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This is also likely to put additional strain on the NHS in the future, and doctors will have to play catch-up once the pandemic subsides.
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