Hull’s A&Es had 14,063 patients last month, up almost 3,000 from December 2023, when 11,128 people attended. The numbers waiting more than 12 hours from decision to admit to admission were also higher, at 776 in December 2024, compared to 496 the year before.
The share of patients seen to within four hours at Hull’s A&Es has improved year-on-year for December. 54.1 per cent were admitted within four hours or less last month, compared to 42.4 per cent in December 2023. However, this remains one of the lowest figures across NHS England Trusts for people seen within four hours or less.
More than 2.35 million people attended A&Es across England last month. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said that hospitals were “under exceptional pressure” at the start of the year, facing “mammoth demand” linked to the colder weather and respiratory viruses like flu.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “Although this winter’s campaign vaccinated more people than last winter, this strain of flu has hit hard, putting more than three times as many patients into hospital compared to this time last year. Annual winter pressures should not mean an annual winter crisis, which is why this government is making significant investment in the NHS, undertaking fundamental reform, and acting now to improve social care.”
By: Ivan Morris Poxton, LDRS with REACH DATA UNIT/David Dubas-Fisher; https://www.nlg.nhs.uk/news/scunthorpe-grimsby-and-hull-emergency-departments-under-pressure/
