Four new doctors are being brought in to treat the high numbers of patients turning up at Leicester Royal Infirmary's accident and emergency department.
New figures show 13,373 patients were seen and treated at the A&E department in December – nearly 1,000 more than for the same period in 2008.
The hospital also wants to try to meet Government targets which demand 95 per cent of patients are seen and treated within four hours. The figure in January was 93.2 per cent.
Managers at the hospital have launched a monthly survey to try to find out why numbers are so high.
A spokesman for Leicester's hospitals said: "We are recruiting four new doctors to work in the emergency department and we are pulling together plans to create more space in the department.
"We survey patients attending A & E to help us understand the nature of the demand, which should help the hospital and our partners plan emergency services for the future."
The first snapshot survey of 100 people, carried out in January, showed 10 per cent were not registered with a doctor – three per cent more than a survey carried out among 600 people in 2007.
The majority of patients – 60 per cent – attended with minor injuries and ease of access was cited most often as a reason for going to A & E.
The survey also showed that more than a third – 35 per cent – of patients had first tried to see their doctor.
Of these, 14 per cent had not been able to get an appointment for a variety of reasons from busy telephone lines, lack of availability and half-day closing of the practice. The remaining 86 per cent said were advised by their practice to go to A & E.
Barwell GP Dr Mark Findlay, medical secretary of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland local medical committee (LMC), said: "Leicester's hospitals are continuously blaming GPs. It is an easy excuse.
"I am not convinced about the validity of the information from patients who are justifying why they went to A & E.
"GPs have their own shortcomings and should be encouraged to make sure appointments are accessible.
"We all want the system to work better."
Zuffar Haq, chairman of the Leicester Mercury Patients' Panel, said: "The fact 35 per cent of patients were unable to see their GP or were redirected to hospital is unacceptable."
A spokesman for NHS Leicester City and NHS Leicestershire County Primary Care Trusts said: "It's important we see these figures in context. While the percentages may look big the actual numbers they're based on are very small."
The PCTs said they were working to deal with high patient numbers at A & E, including a scheme to assess patients and redirecting them to the city's urgent care centre.
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