§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the fact that at 01.00 hours on Tuesday, 20 July the electronic display in the Accident and Emergency Department of St. George's Hospital, Tooting, indicated a 3-hour wait for treatment for major injuries and a 5½-hour wait for minor injuries is indicative of an acceptable standard of services; and, if not, what action they propose to ensure that it does not recur. [HL3852]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Accident and Emergency Department at St. George's Hospital NHS Trust was extremely busy on the night of 19/20 July, which led to waits for treatment longer than is desirable and for which it apologises.
St. George's Hospital NHS Trust recently received £830,000 from a share of over £115 million to improve and modernise accident and emergency departments. The trust will be commencing a programme of renovation for the A&E Department which will help to improve waiting times.
The trust has achieved a consistently good performance with regard to the admission of patients to hospital via Accident & Emergency. Recent figures show that, from April to June 1999, 87 per cent, of patients requiring admission were admitted within the Patient's Charter standard time of two hours.