Hospital waiting times in Worcester were over 12 hours this morning.

At 7.30am this morning waiting times at Worcestershire Royal Hospital A&E were up to 10 hours with 12 patients yet to be assessed.

As the morning progressed, 13 patients were waiting to be seen with waiting times of 11 hours and 44 minutes.

At 8.45am 16 patients were recorded in the waiting room with a 12 hour and 19 minute waiting time. 

The Trust said their emergency departments are very busy in comparison to patient numbers this time two years ago. 

Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

“We would urge the public to contact NHS 111, either online or by calling 111 to receive free urgent care advice before attending our A&E department, and to only use 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

“Teams across our two Emergency Departments, GP surgeries, community nursing and social care have been working incredibly hard to ensure patients receive appropriate and safe care throughout one of the most challenging periods in the history of the NHS.

"Caring for so many people while also making sure that we protect our patients and staff from the risk of Covid-19 infection is a significant challenge, but one that our dedicated staff are rising to.

“Please also remember you can seek help from a local Minor Injury Unit (MIU) for a variety of injuries including; wounds, sprains, strains and minor burns with much shorter waiting times.”