Why it matters: A&E wait times are critical to NHS performance and patient care quality. The East Suffolk and North Essex Trust's latest figures reveal progress and ongoing challenges in meeting national targets.
By the numbers:
The trust saw 28,091 A&E visits in July, up 8% from last year
20,725 patients (74%) were seen within 4 hours in July
1,383 patients waited longer than 4 hours
259 patients delayed by more than 12 hours
74% falls short of the NHS standard of 95%, but approaches the recovery target of 78% by March 2025
The big picture: Nationally, 75% of A&E patients were seen within 4 hours in July, the highest level since September 2021. However, the NHS continues to grapple with high demand and resource constraints.
What they're saying:
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said, "A&E staff are under significant pressure and the NHS is in the middle of what could be its busiest summer ever."
Dr Martin Mansfield is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
He said: “We often have a very high demand on our services, particularly in our accident and emergency departments. Our emergency and urgent care teams work extremely hard every day to make sure we care for patients as quickly as possible.
“Each patient is clinically assessed and prioritised in terms of clinical need when they arrive so we can be sure that those with the most urgent needs are seen first. However this does mean some people wait longer than we would like them to.
“We are doing our very best to reduce delays for patients, but would also encourage our communities to make sure they support the NHS by using services appropriately. If it is not an emergency, we ask that people call NHS 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk online first.”
What's next: The new Government will face challenges in supporting the NHS and improving performance through the remainder of a busy summer and the winter months. The NHS is working with the Government on a 10-year health plan to address wait times.
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