Health chiefs vow to reduce A&E waiting times in Sandwell and Birmingham
Health chiefs have vowed to make progress after failing to hit emergency department targets.
Sandwell General Hospital and Birmingham’s City Hospital fell short of national targets, with fewer than one in five patients seen within four hours at A&E departments each day.
But chief operating officer Rachel Barlow said the trust was now aiming to considerably reduce waiting times by March.
Speaking at yesterday’s Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust board meeting, Ms Barlow said: “Regrettably, we are behind.
"I’m confident we will make progress despite the anxiety around some challenges we have. This was never going to be easy.”
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A daily average of 120 patients – 78 per cent – were waiting more than four hours in emergency departments at both hospitals in December.
It meant the trust fell below the national NHS target of 95 per cent, which board members had hoped to reach in January.
In her report to the board Ms Barlow said: “Emergency department has sharply deteriorated to 78 per cent month to date, equating to a daily average of 127 patients waiting over four hours for admission or discharge, compared to our goal of 57.
“63 per cent of breaches are out of hours. Regionally and nationally we have been an outlier at times in month and must improve.”
Ms Barlow said there had also been a rise of nine patients being admitted to inpatient beds between November and December, with Sandwell General Hospital under greater strain.
She added: “72 per cent of this increase is at Sandwell. The Sandwell site also has 12 per cent more West Midlands Ambulance Service activity than expected, possibly suggesting an increase in acuity as well as demand.”
It comes after it was revealed patients would be sent to GPs directly from Sandwell General Hospital’s A&E, with hopes to reduce patient numbers and ease pressure on staff this winter.
Since last month, medics within A&E departments have been able to decide whether patients should be sent to be examined by a GP instead.
The patients are booked in with an available GP practice or walk-in centre within the Sandwell borough, with results passed on to their GP.
