Discover how long you’ll wait at West Midlands A&E departments using a new online tool for real-time updates
Birmingham: The NHS is really feeling the strain this winter. Last month, patients in England faced some serious delays at major A&E departments.
According to the latest NHS stats, nearly 45% of people arriving at major A&Es waited over four hours to be seen. That’s a slight increase from November but still better than the record highs we saw last December.
At the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, over half of the patients were seen within four hours, which is a bit of a silver lining.
In the West Midlands, though, things are a bit tougher. At Worcestershire Acute Hospitals, around 64% of patients had to wait more than four hours. But there’s good news! You can now use an online tool to check wait times at hospitals near you by entering your postcode.
December was a record-breaking month for A&E visits, with 2.35 million people showing up across England. Out of those, 1.44 million went to major A&E departments, which are open 24/7 and have all the necessary facilities for emergencies.
On a brighter note, NHS waiting lists are starting to improve. Keir Starmer recently shared his plans to tackle these waiting lists, which have dropped for the third month in a row. Now, 7.47 million people are waiting for treatment, which is 61,000 fewer than last month.
Also, the number of people waiting over a year has decreased, now sitting at about 222,000. That’s just 3% of the total waiting list, down from a peak of nearly 9% back in March 2021.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS National Medical Director, mentioned that hospitals are under a lot of pressure right now due to the cold weather and respiratory illnesses like flu. He praised the NHS staff for their hard work and dedication, even when things get really tough.
He also reminded everyone to only use A&E and 999 for life-threatening emergencies and to consider using NHS 111 or your local GP for other health issues. It’s all about keeping the system running smoothly during this busy winter season.
