A&E under pressure at busiest time of year

CHIEF MEDIC EXPLAINS WHY PATIENTS ARE WAITING HOURS TO BE SEEN

- NAOMI DESOUZA News Reporter

BIRMINGHAM'S chief medic has lifted the lid on the pressures on A&E departments - and the cause of ambulance queues as city hospitals enter their busiest period.

Prof Kiran Patel, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Birmingham Trust, told the Mail that hospitals were busier than ever, with added pressure over Easter weekend.

Prof Patel, a consultant cardiologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust explained the cause of long delays in A&Es and lengthy handovers from ambulances.

Earlier this month the QE reported an A&E wait of nine hours and 44 minutes, Heartlands reported emergency department waits of four hours and 57 minutes and Good Hope had wats of just an hour and eight minutes.