Wait times at Plymouth's Derriford hospital's emergency department reach record high

Demand for Derriford Hospital's emergency department has reached a record high leaving some people waiting up to 15 hours for treatment.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said that from June 1 to July 6, close to 11,000 people were seen at the department.

At the moment, the trust says wait times are up to more than three hours. But added that patients are prioritised in order of clinical need and are seen in the shortest timeframe possible.

In a statement, a spokesperson for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: “We can confirm we are experiencing extremely high attendances to our Emergency Department, a pattern replicated among other hospitals across the country.

“From 01 June to 06 July this year, we saw 10,976 attendances to our Emergency Department, a record attendance figure for this time period for the Trust.

"We can confirm that the wait in the department has at times reached 15 hours, but we continue to ensure patients are prioritised in order of clinical need and are seen in the shortest timeframe possible. However, at the time of writing, the wait is 198 minutes.

“Patient safety remains our main focus, and we would like to thank the staff for their tireless efforts in responding to the ongoing pressures and their commitment to working for our patients to provide the best possible care.

“Our ‘Stay Well This Summer’ portal on our website has more information about using the Emergency Department in a life-threatening emergency and guidance about calling 111 first."