A&E visits have plummeted at Watford General Hospital during the coronavirus crisis, new figures show.

NHS England data revealed there were 4,964 attendances to the hospital's major A&E department in April, more than 2,000 less than what it was in March.

It equalled a 29 per cent drop in A&E visits in just one month, and a 42 per cent decrease from April last year, when there were 8,586 attendances.

It reflected the picture across England, where accident and emergency departments were at their quietest for any month on record.

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, warned people that "ignoring problems can have serious consequences" following the sharp drop.

A spokesperson said: "Our doors are open for patients who need urgent and emergency services.

"We are here to care for you and there is safe access to services within our A&E and urgent treatment centre.”

Nationally, there were 917,000 A&E attendances in April 2020, down 57 per cent from 2.1 million in 2019.

NHS England said the fall was "likely to be a result of the Covid-19 response".

Dr Nick Scriven, a past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the drop in A&E attendances was "a significant concern" and people's conditions may have worsened as a result.

"This is a ticking timebomb in itself and it will be exacerbated by a myriad of other pressures in the coming weeks," he said.

"There will be an ongoing need to keep people with coronavirus separate from others to prevent transmission. Attempting to manage increased demand will be very challenging."

John Appleby, director of research and chief economist at the Nuffield Trust, added: "People are likely putting off seeking care because of Covid-19 infection fears and worries of burdening overstretched NHS staff; this is despite some reassurance from both the Government and the NHS that these services are open.

"We do not yet know what impact this is having on people's health – some people will have self-treated or sought other sources of care."

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said although A&E attendances were sharply down, the majority of reductions were for lower-risk conditions.

"The NHS has launched a public information campaign reminding the people of the importance of seeking care for urgent and emergency conditions," he said.