HUNDREDS of patients arriving at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) are waiting more than 12 hours in A&E every month.

A News Shopper Freedom Of Information request shows waiting times at the Woolwich hospital are already rocketing, and this is before an extra 30,000 patients from Lewisham’s A&E are sent to QEH and nearby hospitals.

Jos Bell, who has been campaigning to stop Lewisham's A&E from being downgraded, says the hospital’s facilities are “full to popping”.

She said: “The whole of healthcare in south-east London will go boom. It’s very scary.

“Ambulances are kept queuing outside hospitals because the A&Es are full to popping. 

“Hospital staff at Woolwich are tearing their hair out at the prospect of getting even more patients, they’re stretched beyond capacity.”

Figures released exclusively to News Shopper show waiting times have been rising since last summer, with a peak of 342 patients waiting more than 12 hours in January.

While there are no specific government targets for A&E patients waiting more than 12 hours, departments are told to make sure no more than five cent are left waiting more than four hours. 

At QEH, the figure has exceeded 12 per cent three times already this year.

In March, 1,033 people were left waiting more than four hours despite Lewisham, King’s College and Guy’s and St Thomas’ consistently reaching their waiting time targets.

Lewisham Hospital consultant physician Dr John O’Donohue confirmed reports of queuing ambulances and added: “South-east London and all of London is experiencing a relentless increase in A&E attendance.

“The wards are blocked.

“The wards don’t have beds because the beds are full.”

Speaking about the decision to downgrade Lewisham’s A&E, he said: “It beggars belief.

“If there is a reduction in emergency capacity without there being replacement in community resources, it would be dangerous.”

The Save The Lewisham Hospital group was once again campaigning in Lewisham town centre on Saturday with Councillor Stella Jeffrey. 

When we told her about QEH waiting times, she said: “People will be appalled.

“It’s just madness.

“Would you go to a shop which is sold out?”

News Shopper: Kathleen Gummer, seven hours after she arrived

Kathleen Gummer

ONE 67-year-old woman who waited for 18 hours in January was told her wait in A&E was due to a norovirus outbreak. 

Although Kathleen Gummer has now fully recovered, her daughter Jacky Ware is still seething.

She said: “If you can’t cope with an outbreak of norovirus, how do you expect to cope with another hospital’s A&E?

“What if Lewisham and Greenwich hospitals get an outbreak of norovirus, where does this leave the patient?”

Kathleen Gummer was not given a bed until 1.50am and her daughter said was  “very distressed, almost crying with pain”.

“She was just saying ‘please get me a bed’.”

 

Health trust response

A South London Healthcare Trust spokesman said: “These long waits are not acceptable to our patients or to us.

“We aim to see and treat all patients who attend our emergency departments as quickly as possible and the majority are seen within four hours.

“Unfortunately there are occasions where patients wait much longer, primarily when a decision to admit them has been taken and we are waiting for a bed in the hospital to become available.”