'We're so sorry for long waits'

DERRIFORD HAS WORST WAITING TIMES IN ENGLAND

- KATIE TIMMS

DERRIFORD Hospital has apologised after new figures showed it had the worst waiting times of any trust in the country in March.

Almost two-thirds (65.5%) of attendees at Plymouth’s Type One Accident and Emergency Department had to wait over four hours.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) is not the only trust with long waiting times, with a visit to A&E likely to take over four hours at 15 other trusts in England.

Almost four out of every 10 (39.1%) attendances to all Type One A&Es in England last month took longer than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.

A Type One A&E department is a consultant-led 24-hour service, with full resuscitation facilities and designated facilities for the reception of A&E patients. It excludes facilities such as walk-in centres.