100-a-day A&E wait too long at Sandwell and City hospitals
Nearly 100 A&E patients a day are having to wait longer than four hours to be dealt with at two of the region’s hospitals, figures have revealed.
An analysis of performance statistics at Sandwell General Hospital and City Hospital, Birmingham, which are both run by the same trust, shows the number of breaches in the emergency department has spiralled downwards since last year.
In July there were 2,686 people across the two sites who were not seen, treated, admitted or discharged within four hours as required by the NHS.
It brings the grand total of breaches for the six month period up to and including July to 17,984 – an average of 99 a day and a 60 per cent rise from the 11,150 in the same period in 2016.
At the end of July the proportion of emergency patients dealt with on time at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust was left languishing at 86 per cent.
While that marked an improvement on the previous month (83pc) it is still a way off the required national benchmark of 95 pc with the traditionally busier winter months looming ahead.
Toby Lewis, trust chief executive, said: “We apologise again to those who have waited longer than we, or they, would want. The last few weeks we have seen significant improvements in performance.
“Our aim is to sustain delivery above 85 per cent and to achieve 95 per cent in March 2018 (only one Trust in the NHS hit that measure last week).
"In the next few weeks more local GP appointments open, and by the end of October we will complete the reorganisation of hospital beds between specialties, to achieve our best readiness for winter. We urge everyone who needs or is invited to have a flu vaccination to take that up rapidly.”
