‘PHENOMENAL’ county staff have now hit an emergency waiting time target for four months in a row despite a huge surge in demand which has put hospitals under strain.

Worcestershire hospital staff have managed to see, treat, admit, discharge or transfer at least 95 per cent of A&E patients within four hours for the last four months despite struggling to hit the target in the past.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust hit the target for the first time in 15 months in July and the run of good form has continued despite a rise in emergency demand.

This demand for the first six months of the financial year is 13.7 per cent above what it was over the same period last year.

Chris Tidman, deputy chief executive of the trust, said: “Considering the pressures at the front door, that’s a phenomenal effort.”

The trust risks fines of £22,000 a month if it fails to hit the target Stewart Messer, the trust’s chief operating officer, said there had been no ebb at all in numbers of patients through the doors of A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester and the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.

He said: “Both hospitals have been under tremendous pressure. There are other acute trusts and other regions experiencing similar pressures.”

The number of A&E attendances in July this year was higher than December of last year, even though winter is traditionally the busiest time of the year.

An ageing population, unhealthy lifestyles and increase in people living with long-term conditions have contributed to the pressure.

Work is under way to try to manage demand but Mr Messer said he was still ‘not entirely confident’ demand would fall. He is still waiting to hear from NHS partners about the impact of schemes designed to reduce A&E admissions.