OVER 3,000 sports related injuries ranging from major trauma to shortness of breath presented at Hereford County Hospital’s under-pressure A&E between April 2013 and October this year.

 The month-by-month figures released by Wye Valley NHS Trust do not record which sports the injured were involved in.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) said calls to sports related injuries kept crews busy with broken bones at football games being “quite common.”

Totalling 3,036, the injury numbers by month vary from a low of 106 in February this year to 235 in October 2013.

In full, the numbers are: April 2013 - 193; May 2013 - 120;  June 2013 - 142; July 2013 - 136; August 2013 - 109; September 2013 - 226;

October 2013 - 235;  November 2013 - 167;  December 2013 - 102;  January 2014 - 115; February 2014 - 106;  March 2014 - 215;

April 2014 - 169; May 2014 - 139; June 2014 - 157;  July 2014 - 166; August 2014 - 121; September 2014 - 261; October 2014 - 157

Injury types range from major trauma to shortness of breath.

In context, overall attendances at the county’s A&E have reached  a daily average of 153 patients at a unit built for 125.

But daily numbers have been as high as 190.

WMAS confirmed that it does not specifically categorise sports related injuries.

In response to the Hereford Times, WMAS spokesman Chris Kowalik offered anecdotal evidence of the demand sports related injuries could present.

“An officer told me that on a recent Saturday afternoon when he was on duty, he saw outside Hereford County Hospital’s A&E at least four ambulances that had brought in sporting injuries.

“Every weekend we deal with sports-related injuries. Broken legs at football games are quite common. Recent cases include a fall from a trampoline and a suspected neck injury from karate.

“Such calls do keep us busy but when we are called to them, they are genuine and they are serious,” he said.