Fewer people are seen within four hours due to so called ‘bed blockers’ who cannot leave because there is not the right social care in the community for them
A&E waiting times are getting worse according to a new study with elderly and frail people occupying hospital beds because there is nowhere else for them to go. Shocking new figures reveal more patients are having to wait more than four hours for treatment as pressure on the NHS intensifies.
Figures collected by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) over the last seven weeks showed at worst 88% of A&E patients were treated or admitted within that time frame – below the government target of 95%. The waiting time target is widely regarded as a key measure of how the NHS is performing. The data from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine is based on evidence submitted by more than 40 health trusts – one in five of the total in the UK.
Full story in The Mirror 28 November 2015