Latest A&E waiting times in Northern Lincolnshire: Fall in waits of over 12 hours
People seen within four hours also improved
Last updated 17th May 2023
The number of emergency admissions waiting twelve hours or more to be admitted in accident and emergency departments in northern Lincolnshire fell by almost half in April. This was despite continued higher year on year demand.
There were still 454 people last month who waited 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust’s (NLAG) A&Es. But this was 400 fewer than the previous month.
People seen to within four hours also improved markedly, from 56.5 per cent in March to 61.3 per cent of all A&E patients in April. Yet A&Es continue to face extra demand, with ten per cent more patients than in April 2022.
NLAG’s chief executive welcomed the improved waiting times, though apologised for those who have still experienced a longer wait. The latest A&E performance data comes as a new NHS website is launched to help people find the right support locally if struggling with mental health issues.
There were 13,133 patients to northern Lincolnshire’s A&Es in April, down 436 compared to March. However, it is 1,229 more than the same time last year.
A&Es have a target for 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. For the second consecutive month, northern Lincolnshire’s A&Es improved their performance on this measurement, with 61.3 per cent also better than last April when 58.9 per cent were seen to within four hours.
Like most A&E departments in England, they remain a long way off the 95 per cent target In total, 5,083 people waited over four hours in April from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
April was the first full month since Scunthorpe General Hospital’s new £17.3m A&E department opened. This follows on from the Autumn opening of Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital’s new £17.9m A&E in Grimsby. Both are more than double the capacity of what they replaced.
“All of our staff continue to work extremely hard to care for patients and make decisions regarding their care in a timely manner,” said NLAG’s chief exec Peter Reading. “We are pleased to see an increase in the percentage of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours and a decrease to the number of those waiting more than 12 hours.
“However, we know some patients do experience a long wait and I’d like to apologise to those who have. Our Emergency Departments (EDs) continue to be extremely busy with high numbers of patients attending, many of whom need admitting to hospital.”
He explained that when hospitals became full, in turn the emergency departments no longer had beds available to admit patients. This led to longer waits than desired, with patients prioritised by clinical need.
“We do ensure that those patients who do need to be admitted are well-cared for by our nursing teams while they are waiting and that our specialist clinicians carry out regular reviews to ensure the best possible treatment plan is in place.” NLAG is continuing to work with partners across health and social care to improve discharges to social and community care, freeing up hospital beds for new patients.
“Although we remain extremely busy, please do not hesitate to come to our EDs if you need us – we are here for you. If it’s not urgent, please consider contacting your GP, visiting the GP Out of Hours service, contacting NHS 111 or seeing your local pharmacist.”
Meanwhile, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire’s Integrated Care Board (ICB) has highlighted the launch of “Let’s Get Better”, a new website to signpost mental health support in your area. According to MIND, approximately one in four people in England will experience a mental health problem each year.
“We understand that dealing with mental health issues can be overwhelming, so we want to make it easier for people to find the help they need,” said Denise Nightingale, director of nursing including mental health at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB. “Let’s Get Better has been developed with the aim of providing individuals with a comprehensive and user-friendly platform that allows them to access the resources and support they need.
“This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and it’s an important reminder of the need to prioritise mental health and wellbeing. We hope that our website will serve as a valuable tool for people and help them to take care of their mental health.”
The website’s resources are expected to expand over time and is in addition to existing dedicated mental health practitioners in GP practices across the region. These are accessible without a GP appointment first.