Sandwell Hospital falls further from four-hour A&E target
The number of patients seen within four hours at Sandwell and City Hospitals plummeted over the last year as the trust that runs it fell further away from the national target.
Only 87 per cent of people were seen within four hours during 2016/17, well below the 95 per cent NHS-wide standard target.
Sandwell General and City Hospitals struggled to cope with the number of patients attending during the winter period when thousands were left waiting in A&E as the number seen on time fell as low as 82 per cent.
The trust did not achieve the 95 per cent target at any point during the financial year.
Its average of 87 per cent over the last 12 months was a fall from 92 per cent in 2015/16.
In February, the number of patients waiting more than four hours breached the 3,000 barrier.
Health chiefs said the performance reflected 'persistent pressure in the health and care system' and have now set a target of reaching the benchmark by next March. The figure was 82 per cent at the end of March 2017.
The 95 per cent target set by the Government has been criticised in some quarters as being an unfair measure of quality but trust chief executive Toby Lewis said it was an issue that needed to be taken seriously.
He told the latest board meeting: "If we were running any other kind of business and we had a key target it would be a big deal if parts of the organisation said let's not talk about the target.
"We need to make it unacceptable and have a need to focus on that target."
Plans to improve A&E waiting times include increasing capacity at Sandwell Hospital by using more space and bringing about 'behavioural change' among staff.
Chief operating officer Rachel Barlow said: "We are currently just shy of 85 per cent. We are aspiring and committed to achieving 90 per cent and by March 95 per cent."
Mr Lewis said he believes closer ties with GPs could help improve the situation by preventing as many people returning to A&E.
He said: "If we can finally pull off direct booking of GP appointments out of A&E that ought to allow clinicians to discharge with confidence.
"They are leaving with something as opposed to leaving with the promise of ending up back in primary care.
"I think it could be a game-changing shift."
