Research shows that A&E wait times have increased by 5,000% to a record 420,000 last year. The annual figure is the highest since 2011. Twenty percent more A&E patients had 12-hour “trolley waits” than the year before. Pat Marquis of the Royal College of Nursing urged the government to ensure safe nurse staffing and equitable remuneration to alleviate patient suffering.
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Sharp Rise in A&E Delays: Lib Dem Analysis Reveals Alarming Increase in Wait Times
North Middlesex University Hospital Trust in particular had almost half of its patients wait more than half a day, according to Lib Dem analysis. 8,272 people waited 12 hours or more in 2019, but 419,560 in 2023. Long A&E delays reportedly cause patient fatalities and injury.
British Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused the government of ignoring patient suffering, especially vulnerable and elderly people who wait hours in packed A&E departments.
At 93.5% hospital bed occupancy in December, 151,295 patients, or 1 in 9, had 12-hour A&E waits. The waiting hours were “shameful, distressing, and deeply saddening.” Industrial action by nurses and consultants and walkouts by young doctors during the health service’s busiest season certainly caused delays.
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Government Acknowledges A&E Delays, Pledges Action Amid NHS Challenges
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the challenge and said ministers were working hard to cut wait times. Under the urgent and emergency care recovery plan, A&E wait times and ambulance response times have decreased from last year. For patient recuperation in familiar settings, the department ordered more hospital beds and virtual ward beds. They noted an £800 million boost to NHS capacity and patient care.
Increasing A&E wait times indicate a healthcare system catastrophe. Efforts to improve personnel, remuneration, and healthcare capacity have increased due to patient well-being concerns. As the NHS struggles, comprehensive and lasting solutions are needed to provide timely and efficient healthcare.
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