Winter weather hits A&E waiting times (From South Wales Argus)

Winter weather hits A&E waiting times

8:20am Tuesday 9th February 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

ALMOST 1,400 patients waited more than four hours to be seen at accident and emergency departments in Gwent hospitals in December, as problems caused by the harsh winter weather began to take their toll.

The figure, covering the Royal Gwent and Nevill Hall units, meant that around one-in-seven patients who attended A&E in Gwent that month waited more than the target four hours.

Increased emergency demands have put A&E units across Wales under pressure in recent months, but December - the second half of which saw snow, ice and freezing temperatures for several days - brought extra challenges.

Winter brings an increase in emergency admissions for respiratory and other medical conditions, usually among the elderly, but the inclement weather also brought more broken and sprained limbs and associated problems.

Aneurin Bevan Health Board bosses and A&E chiefs meet every week to review performance and attempt to anticipate potential pressures, but a report on the situation in Gwent called the issues thrown up by recent weather conditions "particularly challenging."

In December, 82.3 per cent of patients attending Royal Gwent A&E were dealt with inside four hours, and at Nevill Hall the figure was 90.3 per cent.

The total A&E attendance for these hospitals that month was 9,341.

None of the 13 acute hospital A&E departments in Wales met the target of dealing with 95 per cent of patients inside four hours.

All but one missed the secondary target of dealing with all patients inside eight hours and at the Royal Gwent, some 400 patients waited longer.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)