A&E waiting times reach worst level in 15 years

Waiting times for Accident & Emergency treatment have reached their worst levels since 2004, the year the four hour target waiting time was introduced.

This news comes following reports that hospitals seemed to be coping well in the early part of winter.

Last month, under 85 per cent of patients were treated within the target time, which is well below the 95 per cent threshold, meaning that as much as 330,000 patients had longer wait times.

Hospitals reported substantial problems allocating beds for those needing to be admitted and over 80,000 patients were kept waiting for at least an extra four hours to be transferred to a ward in addition to their wait in A&E.

The Society for Acute Medicine’s Dr Nick Scriven, said this showed that the NHS was under “severe strain”, adding that hospitals were severely overcrowded, and many intensive care units were completely full.

He went on to say “Although there is less minor illness associated with flu this year, there are more severely ill people than last year which is putting an even bigger strain on the critical care facilities in our hospitals.

“Any NHS worker will tell you that the stresses and strains are very real and ongoing with no let up in sight.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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