Daily Insight: Dropped target = longer waits

Patients attending accident and emergency at trusts which have been trialling new measures proposed to replace the four-hour target waited for longer than those at trusts which have kept the old measure.

HSJ’s analysis suggests that the 14 trusts which were chosen by NHS England to trial the proposed metrics had shorter average waiting times than the national average before the trials began in May 2019.

But since then, waiting times at the trial trusts deteriorated quicker than at trusts which had kept the four-hour standard.

Between May and August 2019 and the same months in 2022, the median average waits for admitted patients at pilot sites increased by around 2hrs 40mins, compared with an increase of just over two hours at non-pilot sites.

The analysis comes after HSJ revealed that NHSE’s plans for the new bundle of measures to replace the four-hour target have been effectively dropped by ministers.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine called for the 14 pilot sites to resume reporting monthly four hours data.

Construction dispute settled

An NHS trust has settled a legal dispute over structural defects at one of its flagship hospitals.

Construction firm Lendlease has agreed to pay £100m to Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust over faults at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, well-placed sources have told HSJ.

Though the trust initially sought £140m in damages, HSJ understands the trust is pleased with the outcome and the £100m sum is enough to address the issues.

Cramlington Hospital was opened in 2015 at a cost of £95m.

But shortly after it opened, “substantial” structural defects were found – including in its floors, drainage, maternity department and helipad.

Court documents indicated Lendlease did not accept all the issues cited by the trust, but did accept some defects. Counter claims by Lendlease against several of its contractors are ongoing.