Shropshire 12-hour A&E trolley waits worst in country for second month in a row
More than 400 patients faced trolley waits of more than 12 hours at Shropshire's A&Es last month - ranking them the worst in the country for the second month in a row, new figures show.
The latest NHS England figures, published today, show 411 patients waited more than 12 hours on trolleys in January, while 1,814 patients faced a trolley wait of more than four hours.
The time covers the period when a decision has been made to admit a patient to admission.
The number of people facing waits of more than 12 hours last month had hugely increased compared with January last year, when 33 patients were affected.
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It is the second month in a row that The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has been the worst in the country for 12-hour A&E trolley waits.
Waits of 12 or more hours affected 348 patients in December.
The figures for last month show that 11,319 patients attended the A&E departments at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, with 65 per cent treated and then discharged, admitted or transferred within four hours.
There were more than 12,400 patient attendances in the previous month.
Complex
Hospital bosses say large numbers of people are seeking emergency care and they are continuing to use additional cubicles and bed spaces to try to reduce waiting times.
Nigel Lee, chief operating officer at SaTH, said: “Nobody wants a long wait when they come to A&E.
"Our doctors, nurses and other staff are working hard while we deal with continuing high demand and increasing complex illnesses.
"Patients are assessed on arrival at A&E and prioritised in accordance with their clinical need.
"Due to the large numbers of people seeking emergency care, we are sorry that this means some patients waiting longer than they should in our A&Es.
"We continue to make use of additional cubicles and bed spaces to ensure patients are seen and treated as soon as possible.
“The challenges we face are well-known and require a long-term strategic solution.
"In the meantime, we continue to work with our partners both in the NHS and in social care to best cope with the demand we are seeing.
“The public can help NHS staff by getting their flu jab if they’re eligible, talking to a pharmacist for expert advice about winter bugs before they get worse, or using the NHS 111 phone or online service if they need medical help fast but aren’t sure what to do.”
