Birmingham hospitals see increase in A&E waiting times, data shows
The time patients spend waiting to be treated in A&E at Birmingham hospitals is on the increase, data has revealed.
Figures presented to the University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust board showed the number of people being discharged from emergency departments within four hours had ‘deteriorated’ in September compared with August.
The number of 12-hour breaches in A&E had also increased in September from August.
The average time spent in emergency departments increased in September to 358 minutes in comparison to 347 in the previous month.
Bosses were told the four hour and 12 hour statistics look to be around September’s level in October and November.
The trust has a target for improving four hour performance to 71 per cent by March next year and a report said the board remains committed to that.
Four hour performance has fallen to 62.8 per cent in September compared with 63.2 per cent in August.
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital is the best performing site at 63.5 per cent while Queen Elizabeth stands at 59.3 per cent.
Good Hope Hospital has the lowest four hour performance out of the three Birmingham sites at 58.9 per cent in September.
The percentage of patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E has increased by 14 per cent to 5,047 in September compared with 4,756 in August – an increase of 291 breaches.
Good Hope Hospital had the highest percentage of patients waiting more than 12 hours in September at 16.4 per cent while Heartlands was the lowest at 13.2 per cent. Queen Elizabeth Hospital recorded 14.3 per cent.
Iain Pickles, chief operating officer, said: “We did see a deterioration in four hour performance between August and September.
“Whilst we didn’t see further deterioration in October, we didn’t see any bounce back either. Although we’re not quite at the end of the November that looks as if it’s going to be a consistent position.
“Similarly, we had a deterioration in 12 hour performance which is not what we want to see.
“We’ve seen a stable position on the proportion of patients spending more than 12 hours in A&E across September, October and November to date.”
