The snow and ice impacted on various areas of performance such as A&E waiting times, cancelled operations and delayed discharges.

The monthly report was presented by deputy director of contracting, Tim Watts, during a recent trust board meeting at Scarborough Hospital.

It showed that during December, the trust failed to achieve its target for a four-hour maximum waiting time in accident and emergency.

Only 95.37% of patients were seen in four hours or less, against a target of 98%.

However the year to date position remains above target at 98.27%.

Mr Watts said: “The figures for December represent an increase in activity coming through the department. We have admitted lots more patients to A&E than expected.

“It’s been a difficult time that continued through into January.”

Performance also dipped in cancelled operations on the day of admission.

The trust cancelled 1.31% of elective admissions – which equates to 21 patients – on the day during December against a target of 0.8%.

Mr Watts said the added pressures were bringing figures “close to the wire”.

He added: “The icy weather has caused acute medical problems – more people have been breaking limbs where they have fallen over.”

Denise Potter, director of clinical services, said another contributing factor was a combination of the weather and the district’s ageing population.

She also flagged up a slight increase in delayed discharges as patients were simply not well enough to go home.

Trust board chairman Sir Michael Carlisle raised concerns about the “enormous pressures” being faced in opthalmology.

He said: “What do we do – shut the door and send them somewhere else? Well, I don’t want to shut the door.”

Ms Potter explained that there had been a 34% increase in referrals as a result of changes in national guidelines for glaucoma patients.She added the trust has asked the primary care trust for additional support in the matter.