Long waiting times for A&E patients at Lincoln County Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, and Peterborough City Hospital
Two-thirds of hospital patients waited four hours or more in A&E last month, according to NHS figures for Lincolnshire.
Only 34% of those entering Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital Boston as an emergency case were discharged, transferred to a different hospital, or admitted to a ward within four hours of arrival.
The hospitals, part of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, had 5,302 emergency admissions in November.
Of these, 799 patients spent 12 hours or more waiting to be moved onto a ward, and nearly 1,700 spent four hours or more on similar ‘trolley waits’.
At Peterborough City Hospital, which serves the Stamford area, more than half of emergency patients entering A&E had to wait four hours or more for discharge, transfer or admission.
Emergency admissions were nearly 6% higher nationally last month than in November 2022.
Nationally, 55% of emergency patients were seen within four hours of admission to A&E last month – a slight improvement on the previous November.
A spokesperson for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Our Trust, like many others in the country, is currently experiencing a significant surge in demand for our urgent and emergency care services.
“Many of those attending have more complex needs and require further care in our hospitals, meaning there is also a longer wait time for beds for new patients who need to be admitted from A&E.
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“We are sorry to those who have experienced longer waits than usual, but would like to reassure that our clinical teams continue to work tirelessly to ensure those who need immediate emergency care are able to be seen.
“In recent weeks, we have made huge progress in our hospitals to reduce ambulance handover delays and reduce waiting times in our emergency departments. This work is ongoing with our Lincolnshire system partners to further improve and sustain this significant change.
“Our advice to the public is that if you need help and it’s not a 999 emergency, use alternative services including your GP, local pharmacy or NHS 111 online or over the telephone for clinical advice, assessment and for direction to the most appropriate services for your treatment.”
Dr Callum Gardner, chief medical officer at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford Hospital, said: “We entirely recognise the significant impact that waiting in ambulances for long periods has on our patients and our ambulance service colleagues and we would like to sincerely apologise for this.
“We are fully committed to improving our handover times and are working closely with all of our local partners to take swift action together to improve the quality of care and experience of our patients across our hospitals, despite the increased pressures that the winter months can bring.”
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