A&E wait times through the roof with 786 waiting over 12 hours

New figures released today have revealed the extent of the NHS crisis in South Gloucestershire.

In the NHS Trust serving South Gloucestershire (North Bristol), 1247 people waited over 4 hours to be seen in December. Even more alarmingly, 786 waited over 12 hours to be seen in December during the winter crisis. 

Meanwhile, the average ambulance response time for the most urgent incidents in the South Western Ambulance Service area was 13 minutes in December – almost double the NHS target of 7 minutes. 

Response times for urgent conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are even longer. Ambulance response times in the South Western region for these Category 2 emergencies are now nearly 2 hours 40 minutes way above the 18-minute target, and the worst in England.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a five-point plan to tackle the ambulance service crisis. The party is demanding the Government release the money they promised to help discharge patients from hospitals, as soon as possible. 

Cllr Claire Young, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on South Gloucestershire Council said:

“The Government’s failure to tackle the crisis in our NHS is letting down people in South Gloucestershire and putting patients’ lives at risk. How much more evidence do Ministers need? They either don’t care or just can’t grasp the scale of this problem. 

“Unacceptable and heartbreaking delays mean the Government is falling far short even on its own targets. 

“Far too many people in South Gloucestershire are having to wait far too long to get the treatment they need. In many cases, this is literally a matter of life or death. People in our area deserve far better.

“Our NHS isn't just at breaking point - it’s splitting at its very seams. We need action from the Conservatives. Liberal Democrats are demanding the Government release the money they promised to help discharge patients from hospitals, and launch a campaign to recruit the extra paramedics and ambulance staff we need.”