Four in ten A&E patients wait at least half an hour to even speak to a nurse

Four in ten Accident & Emergency patients are waiting more than half an hour to even speak to a nurse or doctor, NHS watchdogs have found.

A report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) warns of substantial increases in waiting times, with health service data showing a five-fold wait in the numbers stuck on a trolley for at least 12 hours.

The CQC survey of more than 45,000 patients found

• 39 per cent of patients arriving at A&E waited at least half an hour before being spoken to by a nurse or doctor

• 36 per cent of those in need of pain relief were forced to wait at least 15 minutes for it, or never got it at all

• 48 per cent of those in distress said they received help from staff to reassure them

• 53 per cent were discharged without being told which symptoms they should look out for

• 16 per cent of those arriving by ambulance were stuck outside A&E for at least half an hour before they were treated - with eight per cent left for at least an hour.

Overall, 40 per cent of those surveyed had spent more than four hours in casualty units, with 11 per cent spending at least eight hours there, the survey found.

It came as new statistics show an almost five-fold rise in trolley waits of at least 12 hours. The data from NHS Digital shows 263,000 such cases in 2016/17, compared with 57,718 cases in 2011/12.

Senior doctors have raised fears that the NHS will enter a major crisis this winter, because levels of bed occupancy are so high that A&E units will struggle to discharge patients to wards.

The CQC last week warned that the future quality of services was “precarious” while NHS chairman Sir Malcolm Grant said the NHS was “more scared than we have ever been” about the prospect of a heavy flu season.

The new findings from CQC show three in four A&E patients had confidence and trust in the A&E doctors and nurses treating them, despite the waits.

Professor Ted Baker, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said the positive findings on this front showed the dedication of frontline staff, but he raised concerns about a number of areas of concern.

“The challenge of increased attendances puts huge pressure on emergency departments,” he said.

“The survey questions where patients responded less positively such as waiting times, discharge arrangements and access to timely pain relief are concerning at a time of increased demand when staff are at full stretch.”