Increase in 'acutely unwell' patients at Leeds hospitals lead to 12 hour A&E wait times with staff at breaking point

Hospital trusts across Yorkshire said current pressures have left them with no choice but to prioritise patients presenting with acute illness or injuries.

The warning comes from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Medical Director of Operations, Mr Steve Bush.

In a statement provided to the YEP, Mr Bush warned that a sharp increase in 'acutely unwell' patients over the past two weeks have stretched local hospitals to breaking point.

“Accident and Emergency departments across West Yorkshire are extremely busy and we are no different here in Leeds. We have seen a sharp increase in attendances from people who are acutely unwell over the past two weeks." he said.

"This is placing additional pressure on our teams to see patients in a timely fashion, despite our ambulance handovers remaining the fastest in the region.

“We are continuing to prioritise the treatment of those patients with life-threatening illness or injury. People attending A&E with non-urgent conditions may have to wait a very long time to be seen."

This comes as The West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), said its most recent figures show a 14.2 per cent increase in A&E admissions compared with the same week last year.

A leaked letter revealed Graham Ellis, the clinical director of Royal Preston hospital, told the hospital trust’s executive team: “For the past few months we have on a regular basis had more than 50 patients waiting for a bed and that wait being in excess of 60 hours."

Stuart Morrison, Team Leader at Healthwatch Leeds, worries that people are not best informed on the best course of action for non-emergency events.

"It does seem to be that there are some people attending A&E for non-emergencies that may not know that they can be seen quicker than waiting up to 12 hours in A&E." he said.

"Some may not be aware of the Minor Injuries Unit or know about the 111 telephone and online service. We do know that there is a lot of pressure on Primary Care and people having difficulties getting an appointment with their GP."

He also revealed that the team at Healthwatch were recently informed about someone waiting up to 10 hours on a Wednesday night.

"This person had been through the 111 service and their GP but was eventually told to go to A&E." Stuart explained.

"In A&E they noticed some people with things like stomach ache, which they thought wasn’t a reason to go to A&E."

Those seeking medical help are being urged to first call NHS 111, where a trained clinical advisor will be able to direct them to the most appropriate service.