55% of emergency patients wait over 6 hours for care

MORE than half of all patients needing immediate emergency department treatment are failing to be admitted with the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) own six-hour target time.

Figures compiled by the HSE show that despite a detailed series of recommendations for emergency department improvements across the country in June 2007, almost three out of every five patients are still not being seen within the set out timeline.

According to the latest official figures, detailed by www.irishhealth.com and which for the first time include the waiting length from the moment the patient comes through the hospital door instead of from the moment their initial consultation takes place, just 45% of patients admitted to emergency departments are seen within six hours.