Shropshire hospitals missing A&E patient targets
Only 86 per cent of A&E patients were seen within four hours at Shropshire's main hospitals between October and December, it has been revealed.
The figures show the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal are nearly 10 per cent below the national target of 95 per cent of patients being seen within four hours.
Yesterday morning A&Es at both hospitals were moved up to level 4 red escalation – meaning severe and prolonged excess pressure requiring support from external agencies to address demand and congestion.
Bosses at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust blamed the figures on the number of people going to A&E, saying many of them did not need to be there.
Debbie Kadum, chief operating officer at the trust, said: "We have faced the busiest Christmas that many of us can remember.
"Compared to 2012, which was a more severe winter, we have seen over 2,500 more people in our emergency departments over the last three months. Despite this the number of people admitted, transferred or discharged in under four hours has increased by nearly 2,000.
"This is testament to the hard work and dedication of all of our staff and I want to thank all of them for ensuring our patients are kept safe and given the best care possible under very challenging circumstances.
"These figures show that there are people who are waiting too long in A&E. But many people in A&E didn't really need to be there and could have been helped much more quickly by thinking of the alternatives.
"I would like to reiterate that A&E departments are for life-threatening and emergency conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems and serious injuries."
