‘Significant’ delays at A&E

PATIENTS have been hit by ‘significant’ delays at Nuneaton’s A&E department with reports of 19 hour waiting times.

Reports to the Telegraph suggest that the situation at the George Eliot Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department is, like many other hospitals across the country, reaching crisis point.

One source even suggested that, over the Christmas and New Year period, there was a 19 hour wait in A&E and the corridors were full of patients waiting in trolleys.

While unable to comment on what they say are individual cases, a spokesperson for the hospital admitted that the department is under pressure.

“We can’t comment on individual cases, but our Emergency Department is very busy and patients with non-urgent conditions may face significant waits,” the spokesperson said.

“Our priority is to treat the sickest patients first. We again ask that people seek alternatives to A&E where possible and contact NHS111 for advice.”

Only last week, bosses were asking relatives of ready-to-bedischarged patients to pick them up in a ‘timely manner’ so that precious beds could be freed up, which would reduce in the waiting times in A&E. The A&E department has undergone a £1m makeover into a ‘one stop shop’ for emergency care and the new rooms were due to be officially opened in December.