[A]lthough Accident & Emergency departments in Carlisle and Whitehaven have remained busy throughout the winter period, figures published this week show that North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust’s (NCUH) performance against the emergency care four hour standard is in the top third in the country.
The Trust placed 38th out of 137 trusts for performance in February 2018, achieving 85.7% against the standard with the national average at 76.9%. The national standard is that 95% of patients should be seen, treated, admitted or discharged from A&E in under four hours.
This news comes as the cold spell that hit the country at the start of March impacted on hospital services. The cold weather combined with icy conditions saw a rise in people requiring emergency care and the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle is continuing to manage an ongoing outbreak of norovirus.
Commenting on the latest figures, Stephen Eames, chief executive said: “It is very important when staff are working under the current pressures that we reflect on the national context which has shown this week that our staff are doing an excellent job in challenging circumstances.
“Of course we will continue to work hard towards meeting the 95% standard which is a whole-hospital effort. The A&E teams work closely with their colleagues across the hospital sites to ensure patients have timely access to care.
“As I always say, we must remember these are not simply statistics. Behind these figures are our patients and local communities who rely on us to provide them with the high standards of care they deserve. Thank you to our staff for their continued hard work.”
For more information, please visit NHS England’s website at https://www.england.nhs.uk/
