HC Deb 25 February 2003 vol 400 cc540-1W
David Davis

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients were seen by a doctor or consultant within one hour of their arrival at accident and emergency departments in Hull and the East Riding in each of the last three years. [92910]

Jacqui Smith

The Department does not collect data on the number of patients seen by a doctor or consultant within one hour of their arrival at accident and emergency (A&E).

The NHS Plan set a new target for accident and emergency, to reduce the maximum wait in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge to four hours by 2004. In line with this target, data on total time in accident and emergency has been collected since August 2001.

In Quarter 2,2002–03 64 per cent. of patients in Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust spent less than four hours total time in A&E.