Home / Health / Shropshire Hospitals Miss A&E Wait Targets
Shropshire Hospitals Miss A&E Wait Targets
29 Sep
Summary
- Hospitals in Shropshire will not meet government A&E wait time targets.
- The trust aims for 65% of patients seen within four hours by April.
- A&E attendances hit a record high during the summer surge.
Hospitals within Shropshire are unlikely to achieve government targets concerning accident and emergency department wait times. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has set a goal of managing 65% of emergency department admissions, transfers, or discharges within a four-hour timeframe by April of next year. This falls considerably short of the government's benchmark of 82% for the same period.
During the summer, the trust experienced an unprecedented surge in A&E attendances, with a specific peak in August. At that time, only 52% of patients were processed within the four-hour target, missing a local aim of 60.1%. The trust also failed to meet its 12-hour target, with performance dropping to 78% in August. However, subsequent actions have led to improved discharge rates.
In response to these challenges, the trust has introduced measures to expedite processes such as blood tests and scan results. These initiatives aim to enable quicker clinical decisions. Management regularly reviews patient wait times in hospital "huddles," and the trust's board has expressed significant concern regarding the number of patients facing long waits.
