Our under-pressure A&E departments urge public to think twice

People are being urged to avoid under-pressure accident and emergency (A&E) departments unless absolutely necessary.

Hospitals serving South Holland are failing to meet targets to deal with 95 per cent of patients within four hours, mirroring nationwide issues.

Last month, Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital dealt with 84 per cent of patients within four hours. Whilst, in October, at Peterborough City Hospital the figure was 81 per cent.

Andrew Prydderch, deputy director of operations for United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, said: “Over the last few months, we’ve seen a significant rise in demand on all of our A&Es and a delay in discharging patients at a time where we have a shortage of staff.

“The quality and safety of patient care is the trust’s number one priority, and during busy times we always prioritise the sickest patients to ensure appropriate care is given.

“We would ask for the help of the public in choosing well to reduce the demand placed upon our A&E services, as we know that around 30 per cent of people who visit our A&Es could be seen or treated by services outside of hospital.”

Bottlenecks in the discharge of patients are adding extra pressure.

Neil Doverty, chief operating officer for Peterborough hospital, said: “Like most other acute trusts across the whole country, the waiting times for patients attending our emergency department at Peterborough City Hospital have fallen below the national four-hour standard in recent months.

“Our staff are working hard to improve in-hospital processes to ensure we do all we can to ensure patients’ experience of our emergency department is as good as it can be, but we are relying upon the wider health and social care system to support us in unlocking some of the issues that are preventing patients’ timely discharge.”

Similar problems exist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, though it is currently seeing 95 per cent of patients within four hours.

Karen Croker, chief operating officer, said: “The QEH has had greater pressure placed upon it in the last 18 months. We have had a record number of attendances at A&E – 59,902. At any one time, there can be between 50 and 60 medically fit patients in the hospital.
“We are holding regular meetings with our partners to try to resolve this problem.”