HC Deb 07 January 2003 vol 397 c188W
Chris Grayling

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of admissions to accident and emergency units have to wait more than four hours for treatment. [88742]

Mr. Lammy

The Department collects and publishes information quarterly on total time in accident and emergency and waits for admission to a bed via A&E. The data for the period July-September 2002 were published on 20 December 2002 and are available from www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.

The published data show that between July and September 77 per cent. of patients spent four hours or less in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. In the same period 90 per cent. of patients admitted as emergencies via A&E were found a bed within four hours of a decision to admit.