Increase in waiting times at Rotherham A&E

THERE has been a sharp increase in the number of Rotherham patients having to wait for more than four hours to be seen at Accident and Emergency.

The number of people not seen within this target in 2014 (1,756) was two-and-a-half times higher than the same period in 2013 (672).

Now one in 10 (90.9%) Rotherham hospital patients are not seen within four hours – well below the 95% target.

John Healey, MP for Wentworth & Dearne and former shadow health secretary, said:

“These figures confirm the serious and rapid deterioration in the NHS under this Government.

“As shadow health secretary I warned them against reorganising the NHS instead of focusing on patient care.

“The Government need to get a grip on the growing crisis in A&E, caused by their cuts to social care and GP access and their disastrous and chaotic reorganisation.

“David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt have put the NHS in intensive care and they have no idea how to turn it around.

“Labour will rescue the NHS with a £2.5 billion Time to Care fund to pay for 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more doctors.”