Praise for A&E staff as lengthy waits cut

Treatment times for patients needing urgent care have improved at hospitals throughout Worcestershire – despite even greater demand being reported.

More doctors and nurses have been recruited to help tackle the increasing pressures on emergency departments at hospitals in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester.

Latest figures show that from the beginning of April 2008 to the end of March 2009, the county's three main hospitals saw 135,561 patients using accident and emergency and minor injuries units – an increase of more than 2,800.

Despite the demand, 131,525 of the patients were seen, treated and either admitted or discharged within four hours of arriving at hospital.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust says the performance is the best for years.

Trust chief executive John Rostill paid tribute to all the staff involved for their hard work and dedication in delivering urgent care.

"We have invested in more beds for emergency patients and recruited extra doctors and nurses as part of our action plan to tackle increasing pressures on our emergency departments and that investment is starting to pay off."