A&E waits and delays 'worsening' as winter bites

[Northerner]

Patients going to A&E in England are facing longer waits and delays as growing pressure on hospitals put services under strain, figures suggest.

The data - highlighted by Labour - shows the problems have got worse over the past few months in particular.

The NHS is still meeting its target that 95% of people are seen in four hours, but the data suggests this winter has been more difficult.

There is also evidence of ambulances being left queuing outside hospitals.

Labour said the worsening situation was a result of government cuts, but ministers said the NHS was coping well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21251645

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Perhaps waiting times would be halved if people used A&E as it's meant to be used. Not as a drop in centre as some seem to think it is.

 

[Northerner]

Perhaps waiting times would be halved if people used A&E as it's meant to be used. Not as a drop in centre as some seem to think it is.

I agree, although having said that some of the posts here regarding the virtual impossibility of getting to see a GP makes it very difficult for some people. Having ambulances sitting waiting is a terrible waste of resources - I wonder if their wait time is included in the 4 hour A&E wait time?

I remember that my stay in hospital was a real eye-opener regarding the enormous difficulties in planning resources every day - you just don't know what might turn up and in what numbers. The man trying to organise the beds and wards worked incredibly hard every single day I was there and I have no doubt still does. With the pressures being put on the health service as a whole there has to come a point where things will start to fail big time due to lack of staff and resources, and also the low morale of existing staff reducing productivity.

Not to mention, of course, the massive reorganisation being imposed on the whole health service at a time when it is least equipped to deal with it, and which received no mandate from the public in the election 😡