Hospitals failing to hit targets for A&E

Thousands of patients are returning to West Midland A&E department within a week of seeing a doctor – causing hospitals to miss national targets.

The Government wants to reduce the number of "unnecessary" re-attendances, which it says is increasing pressure on the NHS and costing millions of pounds.

Hundreds of patients also gave up waiting and left A&E without being seen by a doctor.

The new figures have emerged as part of a drive by the coalition Government to bring in new ways of measuring NHS services focussed on the impact for patients.

People leaving A&E without being seen and the numbers coming back within seven days are seen as key markers for quality.

Across the five A&E departments in the Black Country and South Staffordshire 3,536 people went back to A&E within seven days during April.

This was 7.6 per cent of the total 46,000 patients who went to A&E in the region during the month.

Under new rules the Government wants the number to be no higher than five per cent.

Figures released by the Department of Health show that the worst was Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, which saw 10 per cent of patients, or 1,844, returning within a week.

This was followed by Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital, which had seven per cent of patients, or 606, back at A&E within seven days.

Walsall's Manor Hospital had 6.3 per cent, or 393 patients returning, while Dudley's Russells Hall Hospital saw 5.6 per cent, or 466 patients return back to A&E within a week.

Stafford Hospital was the only trust to meet the Government's target limit of five per cent.

Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital had the highest percentage of patients who left A&E without being seen, with 4.1 per cent or 357 patients leaving the ward without treatment.