Press release: Letter from Gill Morgan published in the Observer
18 May 2003
It is regrettable that the way that A&E waiting targets have been set and measured has obscured the genuine improvements that have been made (Hospital faking cuts in casualty wait times, 11 May).
The reality is that A&E services are getting better as a result of managers and clinicians working closely together to rethink the traditional way in which A&E departments are organised. Innovations like the use of specially trained nurses to assess patients on arrival, and new units to treat patients with minor injuries have been delivering dramatic and sustainable cuts in waiting times in hospitals up and down the country.
The A&E waiting target has concentrated minds. However, we hope lessons will be learnt from the decision to measure performance over a single week. The Confederation has long called for a better approach to the way targets are both set and measured. As we move to an increasingly devolved NHS, this should be based on clinicians and managers jointly setting stretching targets to improve the patient experience, based on national standards, and measured in a way that reflects real improvements over time.
Dr Gill Morgan
Chief Executive
NHS Confederation
Notes for editors
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