QA Hospital director of emergency care wants trust to see 85 per cent of patients in four hours

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen Alexandra Hospital, did not meet the NHS England target of seeing 95 per cent of patients at A&E departments within four hours PPP-150701-110405001

Dr Rob Haigh, the executive director for the emergency care pathway at the Cosham hospital, wants to see 85 per cent of patients admitted into A&E seen, treated or discharged within four hours.

The national target is 95 per cent but, as previously reported in The News, QA Hospital is only meeting the four-hour mark for 74.3 per cent of its patients.

Dr Haigh, who was appointed to the new role in July, said that, realistically, 85 per cent was more achievable.

‘I want to see us reach 85 per cent and I think it can be done,’ he said.

‘Hardly any trusts across the country are reaching the 95 per cent target and, looking at where we are at now, 85 per cent is more realistic.

‘We have already made changes and put schemes in place to help ease pressure this winter and get that target towards 85 per cent.’

Dr Haigh said it was important to make sure patients were being moved through urgent care and that space was available for them.

He added: ‘Being able to be seen by somebody and have information given to you as quickly as possible is very reassuring for patients.

‘People don’t want to be stuck in the A&E department for four hours.

‘But the ability to be able to move people through the emergency department depends on there being space available in the rest of the hospital.

‘That depends on patients being able to move quickly once they are better and have care continued in the most appropriate place for them.’

NHS data published earlier this month put Portsmouth NHS Hospital Trust, which runs QA Hospital, 17th from bottom in a league table of 140 trusts across the country.

Just 12 trusts in England hit the 95 per cent target. To help improve its numbers, QA has implemented a number of schemes in the emergency department.

That includes setting up a 72-hour short-stay unit for people attending A&E but who do not need to stay in hospital for long periods of time.

The hospital is also using a range of personnel, including having a GP on site and a team of emergency care practitioners and emergency nurse practitioners.

COMMENT n PAGE 18