Sheffield A&E: Nearly 5,000 patients at Northern General waited over four hours to be seen last month

Figures reveal 75.7 per cent of patients were seen within the Government’s target time of four hours in Sheffield in November. To meet their targets, hospitals are expected to see 95 per cent of patients within that four hour time.

But with total A&E attendances at the Northern General over that period at 19,383, that means 4,710 waited for longer than that four hour target from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.

Figures also show seven people waited over 12 hours from a decision to admit to admission.

Best A&E figures in South Yorkshire

However the figure at the Northern General is the best in South Yorkshire – a larger proportion being seen within four hours than most other trusts, and fewer people waiting over 12 hours.

In Barnsley, the figure seen within four hours was 54 per cent. with two people waiting over 12 hours. In Doncaster it was 66.4 per cent, and the number waiting over 12 hours was 289. For Leeds, the figure was 68.8 per cent, with 921 waiting over 12 hours from a decision to admit to admission.

For Sheffield, November saw an improvement. October saw 74.6 per cent seen within four hours in Sheffield and 29 people waiting over 12 hours. In November 2021 it was 73 per cent within four hours and eight waiting over 12 hours.

Sheffield Children’s hospital A&E times

Sheffield Children's hospital’s waiting times are shorter, with 83.7 per cent seen within four hours, and no patients waiting 12 hours for admission.

Just 68.9 per of A&E patients in England were seen within four hours last month, down from 69.3 per cent in October, the worst performance on record.

Danielle Jefferies, from the King's Fund, said: "The latest figures show an NHS bursting at the seams as services head into winter struggling to meet sharply rising demand while keeping patients safe."

How many patients does Sheffield A&E see in a day?

Michael Harper, chief operating officer, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, said: “Like most other NHS A&E departments we are very busy in emergency care and our teams are working incredibly hard to see people as quick as they can. On average we see between 350 - 400 patients every day and this continues to rise particularly at this time of year.

"We prioritise those patients in the most urgent need and around seven out of every 10 patients are seen and a decision made to admit to hospital or treat and discharge within four hours. Our waiting time performance is slowly improving, and we have taken a number of measures to try and help the situation. This includes creating additional facilities to assess appropriate patients away from the main A&E, investing in more doctors and nurses and working with the ambulance service on different ways of handing over patients.”

"We also have an onsite GP service and Minor Injuries Unit which patients can be directed to which helps A&E deal with the most urgent patients. We are very aware that some people are waiting longer than we would like and we will continue to do all we can to keep waiting times as low as possible during these very busy times.”

“We would ask patients with minor injuries and illnesses to consider using the other care options in the city rather than A&E because their wait time is likely to be shorter and it leaves our emergency teams free to treat the sickest people. Details can be found at www.sheffieldurgentcare.co.uk.”

National clinical director for urgent and emergency care, Professor Julian Redhead, said: "Despite the ongoing pressures on services which are exacerbated by flu hospitalisations, issues in social care meaning we cannot discharge patients who are ready, and record numbers needing A&E, staff have powered through to bring down some of our longest waits for care.

‘Perfect storm of pressures this winter’

"We have already said we are dealing with a perfect storm of pressures this winter, including increased demand for emergency are, and today announced an expansion of mental health crisis services which will ensure people suffering a mental health crisis get the help they need as quickly as possible, and reduce the chances of a patient needing to go to A&E.

"That is all on top of the measures announced NHS' winter plan published in October which includes new hubs dedicated to respiratory infections and a falls response service to free up ambulance capacity."