Revealed: The number of patients who faced 12-hour trolley waits in Shropshire hospitals this winter
New research has revealed that nearly 4,000 people faced 12-hour trolley waits in Shropshire hospitals this winter.
Helen Morgan MP for North Shropshire has again called for an end to corridor care by the conclusion of this Parliament after research by the House of Commons Library, commissioned by the Party, found there were 3,940 trolley waits of more than 12 hours in Shropshire this winter.
A trolley wait commonly refers to the time a patient spends in A&E following a decision being made to admit them to hospital. The 3,940 waits of 12 hours or longer was a 36.57 per cent increase on last winter’s figure of 2,885. This is a jump of 1,055.
It comes following Helen’s speech as Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson at the Party’s Spring Conference last month in which she challenged the Labour government to end corridor care by the end of the Parliament.
Helen has been campaigning since her election for better performance in Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, as well as increased support from the Government to help reduce its waiting lists – regularly being some of the longest in England.
The Party has said this could be achieved through a taskforce which would "winter proof" the NHS from future seasonal crises. It would be backed by a £1.5 billion ringfenced fund to ensure that hospitals can prepare for the surge in patients before it happens.
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said: “Patients in Shropshire should not have to suffer through the indignity of corridor care ever again.
“Over the winter I heard countless harrowing stories of people suffering through endless waits in A&E, with truly horrific consequences.
“We should not accept that this has become the new normal after years of shameful Conservative neglect.
“That is why I am proud to that my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are calling for an end to corridor care.
“It is now down to this Labour government to step up and show real ambition for patients here in North Shropshire. To bury their heads in the sand and carry on as if this is acceptable would be a complete dereliction of duty.”
Ned Hobbs, chief operating officer at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said the first phase of the new Emergency Department at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and plans to increase inpatient bed capacity as a Trust are underway, which should ease these waiting times.
In a statement released to the Shropshire Star, Ned said: “We are sorry that some of our patients are experiencing long waiting times to be admitted to wards and we are committed to reducing the number of people waiting in our Emergency Department.
“We have recently opened phase 1 of our new Emergency Department at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and have plans to increase inpatient bed capacity as a Trust too. We are also taking steps to support earlier discharges and improve flow in our hospitals. We are starting to see small but steady improvements although we recognise that we have much more still to do.
“In the meantime, our hardworking colleagues are doing all they can to support patients’ care, dignity and make them as comfortable as possible whilst they wait.”
