Unacceptable wait for patients at A&E department

Seven patients in one day were left waiting for more than 12-hours in the accident and emergency department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) until a bed became available.

The incidents occurred on August 8. They are the first to be experienced by the trust since January.

The breaches were mentioned in a report to the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust’s board, which meets today. The report says the trust has been dealing with short-term capacity issues and was also feeling the impact of a busier weekend as a result of Pride taking place in the city.

Patients visiting A&E should expect to be seen, treated and a decision made as to whether they should be admitted or discharged within 4-hours. If a patient is forced to wait more than 12-hours, NHS England considers it to be a serious incident and the trust faces being fined.

The main cause of the delays at the A&E departments was bed blocking. These are patients who are ready to be discharged but have to wait for a nursing or care home bed to become available or require a package of support to be provided in their own home.

The report said: “Waiting for admission to an inpatient ward remained the highest single reason for patients waiting longer than 4-hours in A&E.

“Difficulties in access to beds due to formal delayed transfers of care patients reduced slightly.

“In real terms, this reflects an average of 60 to 70 beds occupied by patients who could be cared for in a non-acute setting.”

Earlier this month we reported that a £30 million expansion of A&E at the RSCH in Brighton is currently under way. The expansion includes extra beds and a redesign of the layout.

The Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust continues to experience high demand. In August it failed to reach the A&E target of 4-hours, with 83.6% of patients seen on time compared to the national standard of 95%.

By Clare Calder