A new London Assembly report says a majority of A&E departments are failing to see patients within Government targets and warns performance is likely to worsen during the winter.
The report, published today by the Assembly’s Health Committee, reveals that six NHS Trusts missed the target to treat and discharge 95% of patients within four hours at least 80 per cent of the time.
Between 11/11/2012 and 03/11/2013 A&Es failed to see patients within the target time on 202,614 occasions.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust missed the target every week and averaged a compliance rate of just 84.8% over the period.
In contrast the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust met the target 98.37% of the time.
The committee warns that performance is likely to deteriorate in the coming months, with A&Es already seeing patient levels not normally seen until December.
Committee chair, Dr Onkar Sahota AM, said: “Across the capital, A&E departments are struggling to cope with demand and more than half of trusts have failed to hit the Government’s target of dealing with people within four hours at least half the time.
“This is extremely worrying and as the winter sets in, with increased costs for heating, we believe emergency health services will struggle even more and patients in need of urgent or emergency care will not be seen quickly enough.
Assembly Members say “radical change” is needed to ensure London’s hospitals can cope with growing demand and that for this to happen a clear London-wide plan will need to be devised.
The committee has heard concerns that a lack of strategic leadership in healthcare provision could be hampering the ability of NHS services to deliver for Londoners.
AMs say they will take this up with the Department of Health and conduct a further investigation into London’s A&E care next year.
Dr Sahota said there needed to be “a much clearer global plan for A&E service reforms across the capital” to ensure the impact of changes could be properly assessed and are “in the best interest of Londoners.“
