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| More patients waiting too long in A&E despite it being NHS priority | More patients waiting too long in A&E despite it being NHS priority |
| (7 months later) | |
| Latest figures show fewer patients treated within four-hour target time even though trusts were ordered to improve their performance | |
| Denis Campbell Health policy editor | |
| Thu 13 Jul 2017 18.45 BST | |
| Last modified on Wed 20 Sep 2017 23.05 BST | |
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| The NHS is taking longer to treat patients attending accident and emergency departments despite ministers and health officials making A&E waiting times a top priority. The latest official NHS performance figures show that in May, hospital-based A&E units in England treated just 84.6% of patients within their four-hour target time, despite a requirement to treat 95% within that time. | The NHS is taking longer to treat patients attending accident and emergency departments despite ministers and health officials making A&E waiting times a top priority. The latest official NHS performance figures show that in May, hospital-based A&E units in England treated just 84.6% of patients within their four-hour target time, despite a requirement to treat 95% within that time. |
| That was down on both the previous month (85.7%) and May last year (85.4%). Medical leaders warned that the figures showed that the NHS could be in for an even tougher winter later this year than it experienced in 2016-17. | That was down on both the previous month (85.7%) and May last year (85.4%). Medical leaders warned that the figures showed that the NHS could be in for an even tougher winter later this year than it experienced in 2016-17. |
| Performance has declined since Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, and NHS England’s chief executive, Simon Stevens, ordered trusts in March to improve while simultaneously downgrading the duty to give 92% of patients non-urgent surgery within 18 weeks of being referred. Hitting the 95% target was “critical for patient safety”, Hunt said at the time. | Performance has declined since Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, and NHS England’s chief executive, Simon Stevens, ordered trusts in March to improve while simultaneously downgrading the duty to give 92% of patients non-urgent surgery within 18 weeks of being referred. Hitting the 95% target was “critical for patient safety”, Hunt said at the time. |
| “These delays are having a profound impact on patients’ experiences of the NHS and mean that frontline staff are left working under extremely difficult conditions”, said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the council of the British Medical Association. | “These delays are having a profound impact on patients’ experiences of the NHS and mean that frontline staff are left working under extremely difficult conditions”, said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the council of the British Medical Association. |
| But hospitals are victims of wider failings in the NHS, Nagpaul added. “It would be naive to think that the crisis in the NHS stops solely at the hospital door when in fact our A&Es are struggling because of an overstretched system.” | But hospitals are victims of wider failings in the NHS, Nagpaul added. “It would be naive to think that the crisis in the NHS stops solely at the hospital door when in fact our A&Es are struggling because of an overstretched system.” |
| Dr Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “It’s concerning that the early summer period has seen a drop in four-hour performance and bodes ill for winter.” A&E units need “long-term investment” if they are to cope with the growing number of patients turning up seeking medical help. | Dr Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “It’s concerning that the early summer period has seen a drop in four-hour performance and bodes ill for winter.” A&E units need “long-term investment” if they are to cope with the growing number of patients turning up seeking medical help. |
| The figures revealed that hospitals again missed a large number of key waiting time targets in May. | The figures revealed that hospitals again missed a large number of key waiting time targets in May. |
| The number of patients waiting for a planned operation such as cataract removal, hernia repair or hip replacement rose in May to 3.81 million – the highest since December 2007. Experts expect it to exceed 4 million, possibly as soon as next month, partly as a result of the 92% target being downgraded by Hunt and Stevens. | The number of patients waiting for a planned operation such as cataract removal, hernia repair or hip replacement rose in May to 3.81 million – the highest since December 2007. Experts expect it to exceed 4 million, possibly as soon as next month, partly as a result of the 92% target being downgraded by Hunt and Stevens. |
| Just 90.4% of the 1.38m people who underwent such treatment in May had been waiting under 18 weeks, below the 92% enshrined in the NHS constitution. | Just 90.4% of the 1.38m people who underwent such treatment in May had been waiting under 18 weeks, below the 92% enshrined in the NHS constitution. |
| Hospitals breached two of the eight waiting time targets for treating cancer patients. In all, 2,390 patients did not receive their first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred by their GP. Another 1,646 patients with suspected breast cancer did not get to see a consultant within 14 days. | Hospitals breached two of the eight waiting time targets for treating cancer patients. In all, 2,390 patients did not receive their first definitive treatment within 62 days of being urgently referred by their GP. Another 1,646 patients with suspected breast cancer did not get to see a consultant within 14 days. |
| Moira Fraser, Macmillan Cancer Support’s director of policy and public affairs, said: “The continued breach of cancer waiting time targets is very disappointing. It’s crucial that anyone diagnosed with cancer receives treatment as soon as possible and that no one is left to endure unnecessary uncertainty before this starts.” | Moira Fraser, Macmillan Cancer Support’s director of policy and public affairs, said: “The continued breach of cancer waiting time targets is very disappointing. It’s crucial that anyone diagnosed with cancer receives treatment as soon as possible and that no one is left to endure unnecessary uncertainty before this starts.” |
| The NHS also missed the target of ensuring that 99% of those awaiting a scan or x-ray has it within six weeks. Overall, 1.9% of the 1.864m diagnostic tests done in May involved delays. | The NHS also missed the target of ensuring that 99% of those awaiting a scan or x-ray has it within six weeks. Overall, 1.9% of the 1.864m diagnostic tests done in May involved delays. |
| NHS ambulance services yet again breached response time targets, which require them to reach 75% of the most seriously ill patients within eight minutes. | NHS ambulance services yet again breached response time targets, which require them to reach 75% of the most seriously ill patients within eight minutes. |
| The number of hospital bed days lost to “delayed transfers of care” – people unable to leave despite being medically fit to go, often due to social care support being unavailable – fell slightly in May to 66,200. But Barbara Keeley, Labour’s shadow minister for social care, pointed out that that was much higher than the figures for May last year (56,454) and more than double the 31,637 bed days lost in May 2014. | The number of hospital bed days lost to “delayed transfers of care” – people unable to leave despite being medically fit to go, often due to social care support being unavailable – fell slightly in May to 66,200. But Barbara Keeley, Labour’s shadow minister for social care, pointed out that that was much higher than the figures for May last year (56,454) and more than double the 31,637 bed days lost in May 2014. |
| An NHS England spokesperson said: “This month’s figures show a mixed picture. Pleasingly, the number of hospital beds out of action due to delayed discharges fell from around 6,500 over the winter to 5,750. | An NHS England spokesperson said: “This month’s figures show a mixed picture. Pleasingly, the number of hospital beds out of action due to delayed discharges fell from around 6,500 over the winter to 5,750. |
| “A&E waits were still under pressure, with more emergency admissions, even though A&E attendances were actually flat compared with the same time last year. We also saw the shortest waiting times for routine surgery in the past six months.” | “A&E waits were still under pressure, with more emergency admissions, even though A&E attendances were actually flat compared with the same time last year. We also saw the shortest waiting times for routine surgery in the past six months.” |
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