Plea to patients as New Cross A&E pushed to limit
A record number of ambulances visited Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital this week as its A&E department was once again pushed to breaking point.
Figures show that 133 ambulances arrived at New Cross on Wednesday, with 111 dropping off patients at A&E.
The records at A&E continue to tumble – earlier this week it was reported that the department had seen record figures of patient attendances during the first two weeks in March.
During this week's record 24-hour period 319 patients attended A&E – higher than the predicted number of 282.
But just 20 per cent of those patients were actually admitted to hospital and bosses have once again urged people to only travel to A&E in a "genuine emergency".
The hospital has been stretched to the limit in the past year with patient numbers soaring way beyond what it was designed to cope with.
A&E in particular has come under immense pressure with 40,000 more patients than the department was designed to cope with turning up every year.
Group manager at the hospital, Jane McKiernan, stressed the need for patients to consider alternative health services.
She said: "It was an exceptionally busy period and while we coped with turning round the ambulance crews, we didn't do as well as we would like to on the four hour waiting target in A&E.
"Once again we would appeal to the people of Wolverhampton and surrounding areas to only come to A&E in a genuine emergency, and to consider alternatives like walk-in centres, the family doctor or out-of-hours service or even a visit to the pharmacy."
National guidelines state that hospital trusts must see and discharge 95 per cent of A&E patients within four hours, but on Wednesday the hospital managed 89 per cent.
If the monthly figure drops below 95 per cent – as happened in December when New Cross came up three per cent short – then it results in an automatic fine of £17,000 for the trust.
It is hoped that a £1.5m expansion of A&E in the coming weeks to add 12 'major cubicle' beds will ease pressure. Last year the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust spent £1m on giving A&E a facelift, but despite the improvements chief executive David Loughton has said the department is "unfit for purpose". A new £25m A&E department will open in 2015.
