NEARLY 250 emergency patients at Bradford’s A&E waited for more than four hours in December while a bed was found for them, newly-release figures show.

NHS statistics for the winter month showed a total of 11,737 people passed through Bradford Royal Infirmary’s emergency department, with 3,285 of them needing to be admitted as urgent cases.

A further 1,147 who did not arrive through A&E were also admitted as emergencies, according to figures for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Out of all of them, 247 had to endure a wait for a bed of more than four hours after a decision was made to admit them. This was on top of the time they had already spent waiting to see a doctor in A&E.

The figures also showed that just 82.1 per cent of patients were seen within the government’s target time of four hours. Nationally, the figure is 86.2 per cent and is the worst figure on record.

Last month, the Telegraph & Argus revealed that one in three people who attended BRI’s A&E were timewasters who should have sought medical help elsewhere.

Bosses at BRI and at Airedale Hospital apologised in the T&A to genuine patients who have been forced to wait longer because of sheer numbers of people who attended the emergency departments without good reason.

NHS data showed the rise in the numbers of A&E patients at both hospitals in 2015/16 exceeded the national average rise of 2.2 per cent.

A&E staff at BRI treated almost 3,000 more patients than in 2014/15, while Airedale saw an increase of more than 1,800 patients.

Dr Bryan Gill, medical director of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the priority was to maintain patient safety and to treat people as quickly and efficiently as possible and urged people whose conditions are not life-threatening or an emergency to seek help from a GP or pharmacist first.

“Please think carefully before coming to our Emergency Department so that you leave it free to deal with those patients who really need our help,” he said.

In December, there were 5,335 A&E patients at Airedale Hospital, with 87 per cent of them being seen within four hours. However, 88 emergency patients waited more than four hours for admission onto a ward after a doctor first decided to admit them.

Andrew Copley, Director of Finance at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust said: “December 2016 saw the highest monthly attendances at our Emergency Department this year.  We apologise to those people who attended our Emergency Department and had to wait longer than we would have liked due to the number of people seeking help over the festive period.

“We’re asking all patients to think carefully before coming to the Emergency Department. 

"Members of the public can really help by making sure that if they do choose to come to the Emergency Department for treatment, that it is the best place for them to go to get the right care, as soon as possible. 

"Our Emergency Department is for accidents and emergencies only, such as severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, significant head injuries and broken bones. 

"Using an alternative to A&E when you aren’t seriously ill, such as calling NHS 111, seeing your GP or visiting your community pharmacist, could mean that you end up waiting less time to receive care."

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