§ David WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for patients at the accident and emergency units at(a) Princess Royal Telford and (b) Royal Shrewsbury hospital. [41420]
§ Ms BlearsThe average waiting time in accident and emergency (A&E) units in not collected.
The NHS plan set new targets to reduce the maximum wait in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge to four hours by 2004. The interim milestone is to achieve 75 per cent. of A&E attendees waiting four hours or less by March 2002.
In line with this, from August 2001, the Department has collected data on total time in A&E from arrival to transfer, admission or discharge. Information suggests that the NHS is on track to meet the March 2002 milestone with currently 77 per cent. of all people attending A&E waiting four hours or less.