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Wigan Hospital ER Fails Patients: 12-Hour Waits Plague A&E
16 Sep
Summary
- Over 900 patients waited over 12 hours in the emergency department.
- Urgent and emergency care rated 'requires improvement' by CQC.
- Sepsis targets missed; mental health care and triage under review.
Urgent and emergency care at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan has been downgraded by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection that revealed critical issues. Records indicate that the hospital trust is among the worst in England for prolonged emergency department stays, with over 900 patients waiting more than 12 hours in the month preceding the inspection.
The CQC issued a warning notice due to concerns over the triage system, sepsis identification, and the care of mental health patients. Inspectors found that sepsis targets were not met, with significant delays in follow-up actions for potential sepsis cases, contrary to national guidelines. Furthermore, leaders failed to ensure dedicated spaces for high-risk young people with mental health needs, leading to reported harm among some staff.
Despite these challenges, inspectors noted staff's passion for care and that patients felt treated with kindness. Leaders have introduced transformation plans, and early signs of improvement were observed in triage times and ambulance handovers. However, the CQC has downgraded the ratings for urgent/emergency and medical care from 'good' to 'requires improvement,' demanding rapid enhancements.
