31.05.12
226,000 patients waiting over four hours in A&E
The number of patients waiting in A&E for over four hours is the highest it has been since 2004, the King’s Fund has reported. Over 4% of patients, or 226,000 people, were waiting this time in the last 90 days analysed.
John Appleby, report author and chief economist at the King’s Fund, said: “[There are] growing pressures in hospitals and significant performance issues in some NHS organisations. Given the strength of the political commitment to keep waiting times low, the steep rise in A&E waits will be a concern for the Government. The productivity challenge will only get harder, so evidence that large numbers of NHS organisations failed to meet their productivity targets last year does not bode well.”
The report states: “This reflects growing pressures on the hospital sector and coincides with emerging evidence of increases in 'trolley waits' as some hospitals struggle to find beds for patients.”
The figures are still within Government targets of no more than 5% of patients waiting for over hour hours in A&E.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley said: “We make no apologies for giving hospitals greater flexibility in allowing more patients who need to remain in A&E longer for vital tests, observation or treatment. This change was made on the basis of clinical advice and could prevent patients from being unnecessarily admitted. This does not mean that they are waiting to be seen for four hours.
“People are waiting on average only 49 minutes for their treatment to start. In addition, the NHS has continued to meet or exceed the target of 95% of patients spending a total time of four hours or less in A&E.”
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