East London A&E patients are facing waits of up to four hours due to staff shortages.
A meeting of Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University NHS Trust (BHRUT) was told that a lack of resources and manpower was leading to long wait times for emergency patients.
A third of emergency patients at Queen’s Hospital and King George Hospital, the two run by the trust, have faced a four-hour wait in the last year – some of the worst waiting times in London.
The NHS target for A&E treatment is for 95 per cent of patients to be admitted and transferred or discharged inside four hours – meaning the East London hospitals are well off target.
A spokesperson for the trust said that patients were always cared for when waiting for emergency treatment.
A recent annual report published by the trust said that short-staffed hospitals could be 100 beds short at peak times.
Eight per cent of roles at BHRUT are vacant, with GP numbers being particularly low.
Matthew Trainer, who was made chief executive of BHRUT in July, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the trust would work to address the waiting time issue.
He said: “Our patients are cared for safely while waiting to be admitted in the same way they would be on the ward. They’re in a bed, with nurses ensuring they receive all the treatment they need.
“We are working closely with our partners to tackle pressure in the health system. We’ve introduced a senior improvement team to ensure we have the right workforce in place to manage the increasing demand.”
Have you waited hours in A&E or struggled to get a GP appointment in East London? Get in touch [email protected]
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https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/east-london-hospitals-ae-patients-21892642
