Nearly two-thirds of A&E arrivals at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust seen within four hours – missing NHS target

The NHS standard is for 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours. However, the Government announced a two-year plan to stabilise NHS services earlier this year which set a recovery target of 76 per cent of patients being seen within four hours by March 2024.

NHS England figures show there were 15,568 visits to A&E at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in December. Of them, 10,107 were seen within four hours – accounting for 65 per cent of arrivals.

It means the trust fell significantly short of the recovery target and the NHS standard.

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 1,269 patients waited longer than four hours, including 284 who were delayed by more than 12 hours.

The overall number of attendances to A&E at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in December was a slight rise from the 15,465 visits recorded during November, but eight per cent lower than the 16,965 patients seen in December 2022.

Rachel Eddie, chief operating officer at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “High demand means that patients sometimes have to wait longer for the treatment they need, than we would prefer. I want to thank all our patients for their understanding as our hard-working NHS staff work to see them as quickly as possible.”

“Demand for NHS services remains high across the country but we continue to work hard to increase the number of patients seen within four hours despite the challenges of winter that has also included managing the significant impact that continued industrial action has had on our staff, patients and services.”

“A&E is not always the best place for patients to access the care they need, which is why we continue to work with our health and social care partners to ensure that patients can continue to access the treatment they need in the appropriate place as quickly as possible.”

“Before visiting A&E, we’re asking people to consider whether it is a genuine emergency as it’s often not the best place for their needs. If you need urgent medical attention when it’s not an emergency, please contact NHS 111.”