This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Proof sought for how new A&E standards will improve care
A number of leading NHS organisations have asked NHS England for proof that new A&E measures will improve patient care and expressed concern that data from pilot studies has not been made public.
Under planned changes, the four-hour target, which has not been successfully met in England since 2015, is set to be scrapped in favour of average wait times. This means that patients would be seen within 15 minutes of arriving at A&E for an initial assessment and hospitals would be monitored based on the average time people spend in the department.
As part of this, the target that 95 per cent of patients should be seen within four hours will be axed.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Nuffield Trust and King’s Fund have all expressed concern that data from pilot studies in 14 NHS trusts has not been made public. According to the Health Service Journal, a spokesman for the RCEM said there was a need for public scrutiny of the pilot data.
Collectively the groups argue that publication of the data should happen before the new performance measures are implemented.
The Department of Health has yet to sign off the changes to the performance targets following a consultation. In the past Health Secretary said that the four-hour target leads to ‘perverse outcomes’.
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