Sheffield Children’s Hospital A&E has England’s lowest level of long waits

Research into NHS data for the last three months of 2023 shows that Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust saw 14,809 patients in 2023. Only 7.3 per cent waited more than four hours to be seen.

In contrast, the highest number of patients kept waiting in South Yorkshire was in Rotherham, with 39.4 per cent of patients facing longer waits. In Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Northern General Hospital A&E department, the figure stood at 27 per cent.

The NHS has a four-hour target for waits in A&E departments, with the aim that 95 per cent of people are seen in that time.

The survey was conducted for electric vehicle company ePower Trucks and their marketing company, Online Marketing Surgery. The full report can be seen at https://www.epowertrucks.co.uk/news/the-precious-seconds-that-define-emergency-care-a-deep-dive-into-a-and-e-waiting-times/

It pointed out that Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust dealt with a “relatively modest” total of 14,809 patients in 2023.

“This translates to approximately 379 people per month on average,” it said

“Despite the trust’s lower patient attendance, it is commendable that they have managed to maintain a relatively low percentage of patients waiting beyond the four-hour mark.

“Nonetheless, even with fewer attendees, it is essential for the trust to continue focusing on delivering timely and efficient care to those who seek their medical services.

“By leveraging their expertise in paediatric care and ensuring streamlined processes, Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust can uphold their commitment to providing quality healthcare.”

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The figures for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust showed one of the lowest South Yorkshire percentages with 27 per cent of 53,829 patients waiting over four hours in the last three months. This was a monthly average of 14,535 patients.

Rotherham’s A&E had one of the lowest levels of patients in South Yorkshire with 23,480 in total but the percentage who faced long waits was the region’s highest. The report said that 39.4 per cent of people waited over the four-hour threshold last year. The total was around 3,082 per month.

At Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 34.3 per cent of patients – around 2,973 per month – faced long waits.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust saw 49,947 patients during the second quarter of 2023, and 31.5 per cent – 5,242 a month – waited more than four hours.