NHS figures show sharp rise in patients waiting for A&E care

[Northerner]

Growing numbers of patients taken to hospital by ambulance are having to wait an hour or more before they are handed over to A&E staff for treatment, NHSEngland figures show.

In the week to last Sunday, 17 December, one in seven such patients faced a delay of at least 30 minutes in the back of an ambulance or an area of the hospital where the crew look after them, up from one in eight the week before.

Hospitals are finding it impossible to stick to tough rules brought in for this winter by NHS England and NHS Improvement requiring that no patient should have to wait more than 15 minutes.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...ow-sharp-rise-in-patients-waiting-for-ae-care

 

[mikeyB]

NHS England and NHS Improvement are just bunches of people sitting on their arses and pontificating and thinking up unattainable standards that are set up for hospitals to fail. Great for morale, I’m sure.

 

[Amigo]

They’re urging people not to call out ambulances for non emergencies and resource issues apart, I hope people listen. Too many non urgent (and often drunk people) ringing them out unnecessarily.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

I notice my local hospital is No 3 on the list 😱 however, lots of things are at play here:

The next nearest hospital has closed their A&E department;

Lots of housing estates have been built in the last 10 years, the population has easily trebled since this hospital was built;

This area and the surrounding coastal villages are popular for people to retire to, there is a large ageing population here. When I was first diagnosed and admitted I was, by far, the youngest patient on my ward and I'm no spring chicken lol!

Here's hoping for a healthy Christmas to us all