Over 1,000 patients spend more than 30 hours at York and Scarborough A&E this Winter
The hospital trust have apologised to patients and say they have been under a period of "sustained pressure"
Managers at York and Scarborough hospital have apologised - after our investigation found over a thousand patients spent 30 plus hours in A&E in York and Scarborough this Winter.
The Government target suggest 95% should be seen, admitted or discharged within 4 hours. We asked the trust how many people had waited longer than 30 hours since last August.
Hannah Hardcastle was told by her GP to go to A&E in York in December because of internal bleeding. She says the staff were doing the best they could, but it was a traumatic experience and she was there for 51 hours in total: "At one point we spoke to a nurse who suggested my husband bought the car round to the car park, and I just go and sleep in the car just to get some shut eye."
"The lowest point was probably before I got a reclining chair because before that I had been on a hard chair, my arthritis means I have to lounge about and it was hard to stay awake. I need a lot of movement as well, but I was terrified to leave that room in case you get called through."
Hannah isn't alone, as our investigation has found more than a 1,000 patients spent over 30 hours in A&E at York and Scarborough this winter.
In a statement York and Scarborough Teaching hospital said: '“Our hospitals were under sustained pressure for several weeks during December 2022 and January 2023 and it was one of the busiest times our two acute hospitals have ever seen.
“We had high numbers of patients in our emergency departments awaiting admission, and we were simply not discharging patients in high enough numbers to create the capacity we needed. This meant some patients had to wait a long time before they received treatment, and we are sorry for this.
“Our Emergency Departments continue to be very busy and we urge people to help us by using alternatives such as NHS 111 if they are unsure whether to go to the emergency department. This will ensure that when people need help, they are guided to best possible care and treatment for their needs. NHS 111 is available by calling 111, free on landlines and mobiles, or by going online to 111.nhs.uk."