Nine extra minutes taken to transfer patients by ambulance in areas where emergency departments have been downgraded or shut down

In a bid to cut NHS costs, several A&E departments have been downgraded or closed, meaning that patients are spending an extra nine minutes on average to travel to emergency departments in those areas.

The new research, which follows a study published in Health Services and Delivery Research, says the NHS cut backs are causing anxiety and disruption for patients forced to travel further to receive urgent care.

The study comes after seven A&E departments were downgraded to help to save the NHS £22billion. It is estimated that a further one in seven may follow suit in the coming years, affecting 32 hospitals.

Professor Jon Nicholl of the School of Health and Related Research at Sheffield University, and co-author of the study, said “It’s important to highlight we didn’t find the better outcomes for patients planners hoped to see closing these small departments.

“This means it isn’t clear that the disruption and anxiety that can be caused by closing emergency departments is worthwhile.

Earlier this year, figures which were released by NHS England revealed that A&E waiting times are currently at their worst level since 2004, when records began.

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

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