‘Low staffing levels add to A&E delays’
AN NHS boss has admitted that low staffing levels are adding to A&E delays at Wrexham Maelor Hospital after they hit a record high this summer.
In August fewer than half of patients (49.7%) were seen within the four-hour target time set by the Welsh Government.
It represented the worst performance of any emergency unit ever recorded in Wales.
However, while new statistics released today show that the figure improved slightly to 50.9% in September, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s chief executive said recruitment continues to be an issue at the hospital.
Speaking at a meeting of Wrexham council’s safeguarding scrutiny committee, Gary Doherty said: “One area where we have not improved this year compared to last is waitingtimes in A&E.
“There’s a number of reasons for that and they include the challenge of patients coming to us as we have more majors patients coming to us than we had this time last year.
“Part of the issue within our organisation is staffing, so if we take Wrexham Maelor, for example, we’ve got substantial vacancies in terms of nurses and in terms of medics,” he said.
“We’re trying to do a lot to recruit to those vacancies.
“In those areas of A&E consultants and paediatric consultants, there is a national issue with recruitment.”
In August the Welsh Government announced a cash injection of £6.8 million for the health board, which has been in special measures for more than three years.
It was partly given to increase operational capacity at the three hospitals in north Wales.
But speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, one councillor said he was aware of cases where patients had left the A&E department because they had waited for so long for treatment.
Cartrefle councillor Ronnie Prince also questioned whether there were measures in place to monitor how many left before receiving treatment each day.
He said: “You’ve given a broad account of A&E, but is any work in process to bring down waiting-times, as we get a lot of complaints about people going to A&E who leave because of the long wait?”
In response, Mr Doherty said work was being carried out to encourage people to use alternative services, such as minor injuries units or pharmacies, as part of the Choose Well campaign.
He said: “There are plans to improve access to primary care in order for people to avoid A&E.
“Meanwhile, inside hospitals we have plans to recruit as we do have occasions where beds are closed, particularly at Wrexham Maelor.
“The third part is to prevent exit block as if someone’s waiting to be discharged but can’t go, it means someone in A&E can’t get a bed.
“I think the NHS standard (for people leaving) is 5% and we sometimes do it at 10%.
“Some days that’s an average and clearly we know one of the reasons people leave is waiting too long.”