Department of Health releases A and E statistics

The Department of Health (DoH) has today released A&E statistics.

Examining attendances, total time spent from arrival to admission, discharge or transfer and waiting for admission, the figures are for the period ending September 30th.

Figures saw 98.6 per cent of patients spending four hours or less from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge in major A&E departments, which compares to 98.3 per cent in the previous quarter and 98.4 per cent the same time in 2007.

The DOH’s statistics also found there were 4.9 million attendances of all types of A&E departments, a 0.9 per cent increase from the same time last year.

Of the 3.4 million patients who attended type one (major) A&E departments, 23 per cent – 0.8 million – required hospital admission, of which 98.7 per cent were placed in a bed in a ward within the four hours after the decision to admit was made.

In other news, the DoH announced that new laws set to enable scientists to investigate cures for serious illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease – as well as allowing the regulating of assisted reproductive treatments – received Royal Assent.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: “This legislation gives hope to these individuals and families by enabling scientific research while maintaining proper controls.”