Accident And Emergency Waiting Time Targets

EDM number 957 in 2002-03, proposed by Richard Taylor on 26/03/2003.

That this House welcomes the intentions of the staff of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust to shorten the waiting times for patients in accident and emergency by establishing assessment units elsewhere; deplores, however the recent opening of a closed ward, until now used as an equipment store, as a ward to be staffed by agency nurses that will allow some patients to bypass accident and emergency; and believes that the timing of this, and the probable difficulties associated with the use of this particular ward, make it appear that this is management action aimed at achieving accident and emergency waiting time targets, being assessed in the week beginning 24th March, rather than at improving the quality of patient care.

This motion has been signed by a total of 10 MPs.