Hospital failed to hit A&E waiting target

WAITING times for the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust missed the mark in the first quarter of the year.

Pennine Acute, which runs A&E departments at the Royal Oldham, North Manchester and Fairfield hospitals and an urgent care centre at Rochdale Infirmary, recorded 74,919 attendances at its department over the three months from January-March 2015, with 92.2 per cent seen within four hours.

The most recent figures were an improvement from the previous quarter, when 91.47 per cent of patients were seen within four hours. Across 2014-15, The Royal Oldham Hospital A&E achieved 91.37 per cent.

Accident and emergency departments throughout England failed to hit Government targets. Only 91.8 per cent of patients in England were seen within four hours in the same three months. The target expects 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours.

A spokesperson for Pennine Acute Trust said: “The trust experienced a very difficult winter period with high levels of A&E attendances and admissions and a longer length of stay.

North Manchester General Hospital A&E department did achieve the target in March - 95.27 per cent - and the year to date at 95.23 per cent - a fantastic achievement. It’s the only hospital in Greater Manchester and one of only a small number of trusts nationally to meet the target.”