The number of people waiting longer than four hours for a bed in A&E at Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals has soared in the past year.

Despite a fall in admissions, the number of people waiting more than four hours for a bed once they have been admitted has more than doubled in a year.

New figures for Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Hospital Trust show that 1,092 people had to wait more than four hours for a bed between January 1 and July 1 2012.

This compares to just 492 people in the same time period during 2011.

This increase in waiting times has come at a time when admissions have actually fallen.

In the first six months of 2012 14,443 people were admitted to the A&Es compared to 15,754 in the first half of 2011.

The new figures from England NHS Hospital Trusts place Barnet and Chase Farm in the top ten per cent worst performing trusts in England for A&E waiting times.

This is sparking concerns about the ability of Barnet Hospital A&E to cope if plans to close Chase Farm’s A&E go ahead.