Royal Free waiting time targets missed in every month of the last year

A&Es handling the most serious emergency cases across London are missing crucial waiting time targets, new analysis has shown. Almost all of the capital’s NHS Trusts running A&E departments failed to hit the Government’s target – to see 95% of patients within four hours – in every month over the past year. In Barnet and Camden, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust missed the target every month.

 

The Government’s 95% target includes patients at A&E, specialist, and urgent care centres. However, the latest NHS data shows that between November 2015 and October 2016 almost all hospital A&E departments (excluding specialist and GP led urgent care centres) failed to see 95% of patients within four hours. Patients across London waited longer than four hours on 445,455 separate occasions in the last year. In Barnet and Camden, 27,431 patients spent more than four hours in A&E before being seen.

 

There are further cuts in the new Sustainability and Transformation Plans, which are expected to leave a £4.3 billion shortfall by 2021. Andrew Dismore, London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden said it “isn’t viable” to expect Trusts to meet growing pressure whilst simultaneously cutting their funding.

 

Mr Dismore said:

 

“These figures show that we went into an A&E crisis last winter and never really emerged. Plans for further closures need to be urgently reconsidered or this situation is only going to get worse.

 

“The NHS, local councils and adult social care are under extreme financial pressure. But pursuing A&E and hospital closures before better alternatives are in place will not rectify the situation.

“The Government’s unrelenting squeeze on the NHS is really taking its toll in Barnet and Camden. Expecting Trusts to meet growing pressure whilst cutting their funding just isn’t viable. We know that NHS staff are working incredibly hard to look after patients, but our NHS needs to be properly funded and supported – Jeremy Hunt needs to take action and he needs to take it now.”

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