A&E attendances at hospitals in England have fallen to the lowest levels on record, new NHS data shows.
Attendance levels were down 57% in April compared with the same month a year ago, according to the figures.
The fall is being attributed to coronavirus, as people steer clear of hospitals amid the ongoing crisis, with concerns some are not seeking urgent medical help as they would normally.
The data published by NHS England shows 0.9 million attendances were recorded in April 2020, more than halving from the 2.1 million who showed up at emergency departments in April 2019.
The number is the lowest for any calendar month since current records began in August 2010.
NHS England, which published the figures, said the fall was "likely to be a result of the Covid-19 response."
It indicated that people have been staying away from A&E departments because of the coronavirus outbreak.
It comes as experts warn it could be months before the NHS is in a position to fully restart all services.
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Data also shows that the number of patients waiting to start treatment at the end of March was 4.2 million, down on the 4.4 million in the previous month.
The UK lockdown was announced on March 23, and yesterday began a new phase which saw restrictions relaxed slightly in England, but not the rest of the UK.
The NHS has launched an ad campaign urging sick Brits to visit their GP or hospital, or dial 999 or 111.
Health leaders fear Brits worried about catching deadly Covid-19 could put themselves at greater peril by avoiding medical care when they desperately needed it.
Hospitals were urged to cancel non-urgent operations as the crisis began hitting its peak.
Some cancer patients have even told of their surgeries being axed or postponed as hospitals readied themselves for a coronavirus onslaught.
The NHS campaign calls on Brits to use vital services such as cancer screening and treatment, maternity appointments and mental health support as normal amid fears they are avoiding medical help.
Many are believed to be staying away out of concern they may catch coronavirus, even when they are experiencing serious symptoms of heart attack, cancer and stroke.
Previous figures released also came with warnings that some Brits could be avoiding hospitals out of concern they will burden the NHS while staff are on the pandemic frontier.
Cancer Research UK in recent weeks warned the number of referrals for urgent hospital checks is down by 75 per cent.
An estimated 2,300 cancers are being missed every week as a result and many operable cancers becoming untreatable.
The British Heart Foundation similarly warned of a 50 per cent fall in heart attack patients at A&E.
Figures showed four in ten people not attending A&E are concerned about being a burden to the health service.
The data prompted NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens to recently warn that people who put off getting treatment due to Covid-19 fears face long-term health issues.
England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty last month also said he was “very worried” about the decline in hospital attendances.
The latest A&E figures published today prompted a warning from health leaders that it will be months before the NHS is able to fully restart services in the face of Covid-19.
Experts from the Health Foundation, the King's Fund and the Nuffield Trust will tell MPs today of the significant challenges facing the health service as it tries to create a "new normal".
The figures come as the government faces ongoing pressure to meet the needs of hospital staff pleading for vital personal protective equipment (PPE) kit.
In a joint submission to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, the three groups said the Government and health and care leaders should not underestimate the pandemic's impact on already exhausted staff.
They warned an information campaign will be needed to urge the public to overcome their fears and start using the NHS again, while preparations must also be made for a possible second peak of Covid-19 alongside the usual winter pressures such as seasonal flu.
The organisations also said more PPE will be needed as non-Covid services resume, more space must be allocated so patients and staff can socially distance, and there is a need for greater levels of testing.
These factors, together with the extra time needed for cleaning equipment and facilities, will "severely limit capacity for many months until the infection has been brought under control in the community," they said.
The groups warned that the pandemic has exposed "pre-existing weaknesses", most obviously a long-term under-investment in health and care services and a "precarious" social care system.
"These issues will still need to be tackled alongside the backlog of demand," they said.
