A&E targets putting patients at risk

Rochdale Infirmary

Patients are being put at risk at Accident and Emergency departments across the North West with staff under constant pressure to meet four-hour targets.

That’s the view of the Liberal Democrats who say too much strain is put on doctors and nurses not to breach the four-hour treatment time to ensure hospitals are not fined.

A Freedom of Information request revealed one in every 11 patients seen at hospitals run by Pennine Acute NHS Trust — including Rochdale Infirmary, the Royal Oldham, Fairfield General and North Manchester General — were discharged or transferred within 20 minutes of the target being breached.

A breakdown reveals 5.47% were moved within the last 10 minutes.

In 2000, the Government said no patient should be waiting more than four hours in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge - which was later reduced to 98% after doctors said it was too restrictive. Lib-Dem Health Secretary Norman Lamb said: “The Government must admit its obsession with targets is putting doctors and nurses under impossible pressure and patients’ lives at risk. Patient safety should be the top priority for the NHS, not hitting targets.”

But the Department of Health insist the target has improved the “waiting experience” for patients.

A spokesman added: “Hospital A&Es are obliged to see patients in four hours and any evidence that this is not happening is a serious matter.

"Transfers in the last 15 minutes do not prove that there is a problem unless the evidence also shows that the transfers were in all cases inappropriate.”

Last year a poll of 500 emergency nurses revealed three-quarters were regularly pressured to admit patients to the wrong wards to make sure targets were met.

It was also claimed ambulances were being used for “patient-stacking” if they could not be seen within the four-hour target.