April 4, 2019 10.57 am This story is over 59 months old

Patients ‘waiting 81 minutes’ for treatment at Boston A&E

Concerns over ‘significant overcrowding’ at the department
Boston Pilgrim Hospital. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Patients are waiting 81 minutes for treatment at Boston Pilgrim A&E as the department suffers from “significant overcrowding”.

Officials from the Care Quality Commission made an unannounced visit to the hospital in February 2019 and found concerns remained from their previous inspection.

Inspectors raised concern about the A&E department in December 2018 and have since made follow up visits.

The CQC said the unit is still overcrowded and that the layout of the department was “not suitable” for the amount of patients admitted.

Boston Pilgrim Hospital. Photo: Google Street View

The report added that some patients were being treated on trolleys in the corridors and waiting on average 81 minutes for treatment, which is 20 minutes more than the national standard.

United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust, which runs the hospital, is looking to bid for funding to expand the department.

Meanwhile, inspectors said there were improvements between staff working better together and commitment to “doing the right thing”.

Neill Hepburn, medical director at ULHT, and Michelle Rhodes, director of nursing. Picture: Steve Smailes.

Michelle Rhodes, director of nursing at ULHT, said the trust recognises that it faces challenges with the department.

“We recognise the challenges we face  in relation to the care of children, and we will continue to work hard to make improvements in this area”  she said.

“We also recognise that the layout of the A&E is not ideal, which can lead to overcrowding during busy periods.

“However, we are currently working with NHS England and NHS Improvement looking at capital funding to expand the department.

“We are pleased that the inspectors recognised how much progress we’ve made since their last inspection in December, including mention of our new dedicated frailty team to help assess and treat our elderly patients more effectively and the introduction of our two-hourly team ‘safety huddles’, to identify any emerging risks in the department.”

The hospital remains “inadequate” as rated in July 2018 as the inspection does not change the rating.

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