New Cross Hospital A&E has its busiest day ever
Nursing staff at the under-pressure accident and emergency unit at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital have had their busiest ever day as the department continues to be pushed to breaking point, new figures reveal.
The department welcomed 365 patients through the doors on a mid-week day – the highest number ever seen on a single day at the hospital.
And bosses are preparing for greater numbers to pour through its doors when it takes on patients from scandal-hit Stafford Hospital, which is set to be downgraded.
Both Stafford and Cannock Hospitals are now likely to be downsized with some services, including emergency care, being transferred to New Cross and Walsall Manor.
And Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has now hit out at the main nursing union, The Royal College of Nursing, for "missing" concerns raised about standards at Stafford.
The latest record set at New Cross last Wednesday follows the hospital setting a monthly record in its history in March when 9,300 patients come through its A&E doors.
It is not known why last Wednesday was so busy, as, traditionally, April 17 is not significant for the hospital.
A fortnightly record was beaten last month, as well as a daily record for the amount of ambulances which visited A&E.
The trust failed to hit its national target of seeing 95 per cent of patients within four hours of arriving – registering 89 per cent at the hospital for March and 94 per cent across the whole trust for the last quarter of 2012/13.
However newly-formed health body the Wolverhampton City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has elected against administering a fine of £17,000 for the shortfall.
It is believed that the CCG took into account the immense pressure A&E has been under in the past few months.
In recent years 300 attendances has been classed as a busy day, but now 300 has become the norm, according to chief operating officer Gwen Nuttall.
She said the CCG had the option to fine the trust, but didn't take that option up.
"The current situation at New Cross is the worst we've seen. We've seen a significant increase in attendance and the situation will remain the same in the short-term. We just seem to be breaking records all the time.
"We're having to make do with what we have but this is a national picture with regards to A&E performance – we're not the only ones suffering."
