03/06/2003
Government's A&E targets thrown into doubt
The government's claim that its four-hour A&E target for patients to be seen is a success, has been rejected by a BMA survey published today.
The report indicates that although most hospitals met the target during the government's monitoring period, the numbers fell dramatically the following week.
The BMA sent questionnaires to a random sample of consultants in 95 of the 207 A&E departments in England. In the week prior to the audit, 55% of departments met the government's target for nine-out-of-10 patients to be seen within four hours. During the monitoring period the figure rose to 85%, but by the following week the figure had dropped to 63%.
The survey claimed that a third of the doctors polled "did not believe that the figures the government published for their department were accurate".
Nearly three-quarters said that trusts had gone to "extraordinary lengths" to meet the target – by cancelling routine operations, spending money on agency staff, and making doctors and nurses work double shifts.
Most doctors did not believe that the resources provided were sustainable, said the survey.
Mr Donald MacKechnie, an A&E consultant in Rochdale and chairman of the BMA's A&E Committee, said: "Our survey shows that the 90% target can be reached, but only when the appropriate resources are available. Many of the doctors we surveyed were proud of the level of service they provided in the week of monitoring, but it was clearly dependent on staffing levels that weren't there the next week."
(GMcG)
The report indicates that although most hospitals met the target during the government's monitoring period, the numbers fell dramatically the following week.
The BMA sent questionnaires to a random sample of consultants in 95 of the 207 A&E departments in England. In the week prior to the audit, 55% of departments met the government's target for nine-out-of-10 patients to be seen within four hours. During the monitoring period the figure rose to 85%, but by the following week the figure had dropped to 63%.
The survey claimed that a third of the doctors polled "did not believe that the figures the government published for their department were accurate".
Nearly three-quarters said that trusts had gone to "extraordinary lengths" to meet the target – by cancelling routine operations, spending money on agency staff, and making doctors and nurses work double shifts.
Most doctors did not believe that the resources provided were sustainable, said the survey.
Mr Donald MacKechnie, an A&E consultant in Rochdale and chairman of the BMA's A&E Committee, said: "Our survey shows that the 90% target can be reached, but only when the appropriate resources are available. Many of the doctors we surveyed were proud of the level of service they provided in the week of monitoring, but it was clearly dependent on staffing levels that weren't there the next week."
(GMcG)
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