THOUSANDS of elderly Plymouth patients waited over 24 hours in the city’s Accident and Emergency department before being admitted to hospitals last year, according to Freedom of Information requests to NHS trusts by the Liberal Democrats.
A total of 2,586 over-65s had to wait over 24 hours in Derriford Hospital’s A&E department before being admitted to hospital last year – up from just one in 2019 and 12 in 2020. It is, however, down from 4,577 patients in 2022.
The situation is similar for nonelderly patients, too. A total of 3,853 patients of all ages had to wait over 24 hours in A&E in 2023 at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), up from just three in 2019.
A spokesperson for UHP, which runs Derriford Hospital, said: “We are sorry patients are experiencing long waits. Like our colleagues in other trusts across the country, over the last few years we have experienced a significant increase in the demand for our services, including emergency care.
“This has been impacted by several factors, including a rise in seasonal illnesses such as Covid-19 and flu, as well as industrial action and high bed occupancy.
“Thanks to the continued hard work of our staff, we have made some improvements and will continue to work to reduce waiting times for services throughout the hospital, and in our Emergency Department.
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