A&E waiting times ‘getting worse’

New figures suggest waiting times in A&E departments across the UK are worsening as pressures grow in hospitals.

The data, collected by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, showed 88% of A&E patients were treated or admitted within four hours – below the 95% target. The figures are based on evidence submitted by more than 40 trusts, around a fifth of the UK total.

Hospitals also reported significant problems discharging patients. In some places, 20% of hospital beds are occupied by patients who are ready to leave hospital but cannot be discharged because of a lack of community services available to care for them. The problems have developed despite three-quarters of hospitals increasing their stock of beds to try to relieve the pressure, and a growing number of routine operations being cancelled.

College president Dr Cliff Mann has predicted that the “worst is yet to come”. “The majority of hospitals have endeavoured to increase the number of beds available to cope. “Despite this, elective operations have had to be cancelled and postponed as bed capacity is insufficient to cope.” He also said the problems with delayed discharges – which have caused a number of hospitals to declare major incidents – showed no signs of diminishing.

Julie Crossley, a medical injury lawyer at Ashtons Legal comments: “This is not entirely unsurprising given the ageing population and shortage of care places affecting the elderly but it is concerning that, despite an increase in numbers of beds, targets are still not being met and routine surgery cancelled. However, the delays can lead to further problems in some instances and errors can be made when staff are under pressure leading in some cases to litigation which should have been avoidable.”