Only 88% being admitted in 4-hour A&E target

Posted: November 29, 2015

Posted in: Medical Negligence NHS Claims 

In a seven-week study carried out by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine it has emerged that an average of 88% of patients attending Accident and Emergency units across the UK are being treated or admitted within the four-hour window. The target is 95% and College president, Dr Cliff Mann, has predicted that ‘worse is yet to come’.

The data was gathered from around 40 trusts in the UK, and represents around a fifth of the trusts in the UK. The trusts also reported difficulties in discharging patients due to a lack of support services and care in the community, stating that around a fifth of hospital beds are being occupied by people who are ready to go home.

Service going into winter is only going to deteriorate

Hospitals have been attempting to combat the problems by increasing their bed counts and cancelling a growing number of routine operations, however Dr Mann acknowledges that despite the efforts being made, the service going into the winter is only going to deteriorate.

A spokeswoman for NHS England, which operates more than 75% of hospitals in the UK, has stated that a more ‘joined-up’ service between council run social care and the NHS is key to alleviating the strain on the system.  She has stressed that this must be made a priority throughout the UK.

“It’s important patients who are well enough to leave hospital can do so at the earliest opportunity and are helped to recover with dignity and compassion“, she added.

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