County ambulance and A&E wait times above national average

Average ambulance waiting times have been released

The average waiting time for treatment in Leicester’s A&E department, where most patients in the Melton borough are treated, has dramatically increased in recent years, newly released data has revealed.

According to statistics collected by the BBC, wait times for ambulances, A&E and routine treatments were all above the national average and have significantly risen compared to 2019.

The statistics suggest that during the week commencing December 26 last year, 67 per cent of the ambulances arriving at A&E waited more than 30 minutes to hand over their patients to staff.

Across England, the national average is 44 per cent whereas in 2019, the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) figure sat at just 26 per cent.

Glenfield Hospital in Leicester - part of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

This drop in standards is apparent across other parts of the UHL trust, which runs the city’s three main hospitals.

According to data for November last year, 49 per cent of patients waited longer than the target time of four hours to be seen by staff in A&E. The national average currently sits at 35 per cent.

An increased number of UHL patients were also left waiting longer than the target time of 18 weeks for routine treatment, according to data for the hospitals’ performance in October 2022. Some 54 per cent of 130,832 patients waited longer than 18 weeks for treatment, nationally the average sits at 35 per cent.

Jon Melbourne, chief operating officer at Leicester’s Hospitals said: “This is an incredibly challenging winter for NHS services and we are sorry to anyone who has had to wait to receive care in our hospitals.

“Demand for our emergency care services is currently exceptionally high but we are doing all we can to ensure people are treated as quickly and safely as possible.

"Through the addition of new temporary facilities and the relocation of some services, we have expanded our emergency capacity, this is helping us see a higher volume of patients and get ambulances back on the road quicker.”

When patients first arrive at A&E, those with the most urgent clinical needs are seen first and this leads to longer waiting times for others.

All patients in ambulances have their “observations taken” within 15 minutes of arrival and are assessed further by an emergency department ‘senior decision maker’ within 30 minutes.

The trust has increased medical support in the emergency department. Mr Melbourne added: “Our teams are also working around the clock to ensure our elective patients are seen as soon as possible. In 2022, we expanded our theatre capacity to help make this happen and we will continue to invest in elective care into 2023 and beyond.

“Using NHS 111 for illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening is one simple thing we can all do to help reduce the pressure on NHS services. The 111 service will help you get to the most appropriate place for your needs for the first time and ensures the emergency department is available for those who need it.”

Further data for the last week of December 2022, shows the trust had 421 patients ready to discharge, but was only able to release 61 per cent of them. This was due to a lack of ambulances available to take patients back home following their time in hospital.