Testing new measures of A&E performance at our Trust

Leading clinicians have been reviewing the access targets currently in place across the NHS, including for A&E. 

They have made proposals to update these targets in line with advances in clinical practice, and what patients say matters most to them.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has agreed to help test the proposed new standards for A&E over the next few months, to help the national NHS decide whether they are better than the existing standards. 

What are the proposals?

The current main target for A&E is that 95% of people attending should be treated and discharged or admitted within four hours.

The review has recommended that this should be expanded to the following three main measures:

• Time to initial assessment: To ensure people don’t wait too long for their needs to be assessed by a qualified professional.
• Treatment within the first hour for critically ill and injured patients: To ensure that patients with the most critical conditions get the right treatment quickly.
• Time in A&E: To reduce long waits for all patients who need care, including those who need to be admitted to a ward for further tests, treatment or observation.

What does this mean for me?

The quality of your care, safety and experience in A&E continues to be our number one priority. The standard of care you can expect to receive from our staff will not be affected.