Patients needing emergency hospital care are having to wait over 12 hours for a bed at some hospital trusts in the West Midlands, in the latest sign of the toll the NHS crisis is taking in England.
Wes Streeting, Labour Shadow Health Secretary, said the latest figures for hospital trusts acros England show the “terrifying truth is that patients in an emergency can no longer be sure the NHS will be there for them”, while the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) warned England’s NHS has “no more time for inaction and unfulfilled promises”.
Analysis of NHS England data by the publishers of BirminghamWorld shows one in seven patients (14%) admitted to hospital through A&E in December endured waits of over 12 hours, or half a day, for a bed once medics decided they needed to be admitted.
They could have been left languishing on trolleys or chairs in corridors while waiting for a bed or operating theatre to become free.
At two NHS trusts in the region, patients are having to wait longer than 12 hours for beds at rates worse than the national average.
At the Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust in December, 33.8% of patients waited over 12 hours in A&E between the decision to admit and their admission - worse than the national average. This is the ninth worst rate in the country.
And at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, in December, 19.6% of patients waited over 12 hours in A&E between the decision to admit and their admission - worse than the national average. This is the 48th worst rate in the country.
In comparison, at the East Cheshire NHS Trust, which runs the Macclesfield General Hospital, 60 per cent of its 1,005 patients were left facing trolley waits of over 12 hours, over four times higher than the national rate, and the worst in England.
At four other trusts – all in London or the North West – more than 40 per cent of patients waited over half a day, and at four more the figure was over a third. Countess of Chester Hospital Trust (50 per cent) and North Middlesex University Hospital Trust (47 per cent) were the next worst affected in the country.
There are 17 NHS trusts in the country which didn’t have any patients waiting more than 12 hours for a bed in December. This included the Birmingham Women's And Children's NHS Foundation Trust.
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was the best performing trust in December. It had 5,795 patients admitted via A&E and none of them waited more than 12 hours for a bed.
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust had 5,565 patients admitted via A&E and none of them waited more than 12 hours for a bed.
We’ve taken a look at how the different hospital trusts in the West Midlands rank by the number of A&E patients waiting more than half a day for a hospital bed.
1. The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust
At the Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust in December, 33.8% of patients waited over 12 hours in A&E between the decision to admit and their admission - worse than the national average. NHS Data shows that 962 patients from 2,847 total Emergency Admissions via A&E had to wait more than half a day. This is the ninth worst rate in the country.
2. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
At the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, in December, 19.6% of patients waited over 12 hours in A&E between the decision to admit and their admission - worse than the national average. NHS Data shows that 1,830 patients from 9,356 total Emergency Admissions via A&E had to wait more than half a day. This is the 48th worst rate in the country.
3. Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
At Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, in December, 11.8% of patients waited over 12 hours in A&E between the decision to admit and their admission - better than the national average. NHS Data shows that 366 patients from 3,104 total Emergency Admissions via A&E had to wait more than half a day.
4. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
At Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, 11.7% of patients waited over 12 hours in A&E between the decision to admit and their admission - better than the national average.