Four-hour A&E waits at Dudley's Russell Hall Hospital increase

But the trust in charge still beat its NHS-set target for the the 13 weeks up to the end of September.

There were 1,050 patients who waited more than four hours compared with 816 people for the same period last year.

The hospital kept within the target of 95 per cent of people being seen at accident and emergency within the four hours, hitting 95.9 per cent.

The year before the hospital scored 96.6 per cent.

The figures also showed the hospital received an increase in accident and emergency admissions, up 1,562 to 25,536 over the period.

Labour parliamentary candidate for Dudley South, Natasha Millward, said she will write to bosses for a meeting over waiting times.

She said: "Waiting times have a massive impact on people who are ill and just want to be see as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"While campaigning I've spoken to people are really concerned about the waiting times, especially as the winter months are coming along.

"I will be writing to the hospital to ask to meet with them to see what we can do to support them in reducing times.

"We understand that resources are tight, hopefully come May we will be elected and we can start putting the NHS back together."

The increase in people waiting more than four hours at accident and emergency departments at Russells Hall Hospital is mirrored at hospitals in the region.

The Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, since taken over by University Hospital of North Staffordshire, missed the 95 per cent target for patients being seen within four hours.

This was despite the department no longer being open at night.

A total of 11,446 patients visited the department at Stafford Hospital, now called The County Hospital, over the summer period, with 1,831 waiting more than four hours.

Walsall Manor Hospital saw 2,719 patients waiting more than four hours in the same period. This was out of 22,575 admissions.

The hospital, run by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, had 90.8 per cent of patients seen within four hours and faces being fined.

However the hospital expects the figure to rise to 94 per cent when statistics from October are calculated.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which manages Sandwell General Hospital and City Hospital, had 3,345 patients waiting more than four hours over the period.

This was out of 39,216 admissions.

While at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, 2,170 patients waited more than four hours, out of the 29,615 seen. This was up from 1,209 for the same period last year. The trust faces being fined for failing to meet the 95 per cent target.