lunes, 13 de agosto de 2012

Thousands wait more than four hours to be seen in A&E - Telegraph.co.uk

The data was analysed by the health care journal HSJ, which found Northampton General Hospital, Royal Free Hampstead, North Bristol and Wye Valley were among the institutions with poor records for waiting times.

Meanwhile, the number of patients waiting more than 12 hours for treatment at A&E departments in Scotland has more than doubled since 2008, with targets missed in the cases of 882 people.

Professor Matthew Cooke, national clinical director for urgent and emergency care at the Department of Health, said: "This should not be referred to as waiting time as it is time that includes assessment and treatment.

"Once a decision to admit a patient to a ward from A&E is taken, they should be transferred as quickly as possible so that the best treatment for their condition can be given in the most appropriate setting.

"This is why we gave hospitals greater flexibility in allowing more patients who need to remain in A&E longer for vital tests, observation or treatment. For patients admitted to A&E via an ambulance, the average wait to be seen by a doctor is only 49 minutes.

"Modern A&E departments provide a more comprehensive service, with specialist expertise, than has historically been the case. This would mean some patients get the best treatment for them in the A&E department and so would spend longer there. This does not mean that they are still waiting."

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