This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Winter weather causes longer A&E waits
NHS figures suggest that growing pressures at hospitals across the NHS over the last month have led to long delays for patients seeking emergency care.
December data showed record delays in A&E with one in five patients waiting more than four hours, with a shortage of beds on wards deemed a key problem. In fact, nearly 100,000 of the sickest patients faced hours stuck on trolleys and waiting in corridors while beds were found for them.
The December just passed is shown as the worst month since the four-hour target was introduced in 2004, with just 79.8 per cent of patients spending less than four hours in A&E - drastically below the 95 per cent target. October and November saw record worst levels set as well.
The figures also show that there were 98,500 patients who faced a so-called ‘trolley wait’ of a further four hours, representing nearly one in four of the patients who needed to be admitted.
The waiting time targets for cancer treatment and routine operations, such as knee and hip replacements have also been missed.
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