Despite the increased workload, the hospital achieved or exceeded state benchmark levels for performance in key areas, according to general manager Catherine Nowlan.

“The results exemplify the excellent work of clinicians who work hard every single day to attain these standards,” she said.

“I am very proud, as the latest statistics are reflective of Orange as the trauma centre for the district, where we carry out emergency surgery 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

However, the figures, recorded in the last three months of 2014,  showed almost three quarters of the 7247 people who went to Orange’s accident and emergency department were not emergency cases, placing pressure on staff.

Of the patients taken to the emergency department, 869 were classified as being in imminent danger of death, with another 50 patients requiring resuscitation as they arrived at the emergency department.

In a significant result for the hospital, despite a 15 per cent jump in the number of Category 2 (second most urgent surgery cases) the hospital achieved a 100 per cent result, up 4 per cent on the same period for the previous year.

Despite an 8 per cent increase in elective surgery, 100 per cent of patients underwent surgery within the required 30-day period.

In fact, 833 cases of elective surgery were carried out at the hospital.

The ambulance bays were kept busy, with 1460 people brought to the hospital this way.

Ms Nowlan said the average waiting time of 10 minutes on an ambulance stretcher before a patient was transferred to a bed in the emergency ward was also a commendable result.