Trust reports dozens of 12 hour trolley waits in single month

Around 70 emergency patients waited more than 12 hours to be admitted at an acute trust in Greater Manchester in a single month. Official data, published by NHS England last week, said there were 137 “trolley waits” of at least 12 hours at Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust in March.

However, the trust said a new internal system had skewed the figures, so the true number of 12 hour breaches was about 70.

This would still be the most for a single trust in England, followed by Great Western Hospitals Foundation Trust with 49 breaches. Pennine Acute reported 39 breaches in February and 21 in January.  There have been serious performance problems at the trust this year, with the Care Quality Commission understood to have raised concerns about emergency services following an inspection in February. Its full findings are due to be published later this year.

HSJ asked the trust if any of the 12 hour breaches had led to patient safety incidents or harm, but this question went unanswered in its response.

Full story in HSJ 16 May 2016