The figures were released as the hospital’s future remains under debate after controversial plans to close its frailty ward and move services to Darlington.
But trust bosses say the data shows Bishop Auckland Hospital is treating more patients than ever and will remain vital to healthcare across County Durham.
Outpatient appointments rose 19 per cent to more than 98,500 between 2022/23 and 2025/26, according to the trust.
Bishop Auckland Hospital (Image: COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS TRUST)
CT scans rose 53 per cent to more than 11,800, while MRI scans increased 19 per cent to 8,700.
Endoscopy procedures rose 37 per cent and chemotherapy appointments 49 per cent over the same period.
Ward stays rose 35 per cent, with more than 3,800 patients admitted during the year, the trust said.
Particular emphasis has been placed on planned surgery, with the hospital now home to one of the North East’s six surgical hubs.
More than 30,000 day-case operations were carried out at the site last financial year, up 48 per cent in three years.
The hospital also carried out more than 3,600 operations requiring an overnight stay and almost 1,000 cataract procedures.
More than 13,600 people attended the hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre during the year.
The site also provides stroke rehabilitation, step-down care, Parkinson’s disease services and specialist community dental care.
Dr Eliot Sykes, Chief Medical Officer at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (Image: COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS TRUST)
The figures come after months of scrutiny over the hospital’s future.
Earlier this month, proposals to relocate the hospital’s frailty ward to Darlington sparked strong opposition, with critics describing the move as “another nail in the coffin” for Bishop Auckland Hospital.
Trust chief executive Steve Russell separately told The Northern Echo that a full accident and emergency department was “unlikely”, saying the hospital’s future lay in expanding elective and planned care rather than emergency medicine.
Dr Eliot Sykes, the trust’s chief medical officer, said Bishop Auckland Hospital remained central to its long-term plans.
He said: “We know how much the hospital matters to local people. It has a vital role to play both now and in the future.
“We want to build on the hospital’s strengths and continue to enhance the care available on the site, whether that’s by increasing the number and range of operations carried out here or by further developing a community-facing model of care.”
The trust says the approach supports the Government’s aim to bring more services closer to patients’ homes while using specialist sites for planned treatment.
Patient feedback was also positive: all respondents to the trust’s latest Friends and Family Test for Bishop Auckland Hospital’s inpatient wards said they would recommend the service.
Victoria Pye is a matron supporting frailty, step-down and rehabilitation care at Bishop Auckland Hospital.
She said: “Bishop Auckland Hospital means a great deal to our local community, and as someone local myself, I know just how important it is to people.
“I’m incredibly proud of the care our teams provide every day. There is so much happening here, from surgery and scans to cancer care, rehabilitation and specialist services that make a real difference to people’s lives.
“Behind every one of these figures is a patient, a family and a team of colleagues working hard to provide the best care they can. It is fantastic to see how much the hospital continues to grow and to be able to celebrate the work of our teams.”