HC Deb 15 September 2003 vol 410 cc616-7W
Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is at the accident and emergency department at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford; and what the equivalent figure was 12 months ago. [127438]

Dr. Ladyman

Information on average waiting times in accident and emergency departments is not collected centrally. Information on the proportion of patients who spend four or fewer hours in a major A and E department from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge has been available each quarter since July 2002.

Information for Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust, which runs Broomfield Hospital, is shown in the table.

Quarter Percentage of patients who

spent less than four hours

in A and E

2002–03 2 71
2002–03 3 71
2002–03 4 83

Source:

Department of Health form QMAE

Information from Essex Strategic Health Authority indicates that the average waiting time in A and E at the trust for June 2003 was two hours and 22 minutes. The figure for June 2002 was three hours and 20 minutes.