New data reveals thousands of people are attending A&E in the West Midlands and leaving without being treated.

In September, 1,063 attendances the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust were recorded as having left A&E before being seen for treatment, 6.7% of all attendances, the highest proportion in England.

The number leaving before treatment is more than triple the 305 attendances recorded as having left A&E before being seen for treatment in September 2015, when 2.8% of attendances were recorded as leaving.

At University Hospital Birmingham, 466 attendances were recorded as having left A&E before being seen for treatment, 4.9%, up 79% from 260 in September 2015.

Across England, 3.2% of attendances at A&E departments were recorded as having left A&E before being seen for treatment, a total of 53,000 attendances.

This was a quarter higher than the 42,461 recorded in September 2015, when 2.7% of attendances left before treatment, and 49% higher than in 2013, when the number was 35,604, 2.5% of attendances.

Two Birmingham area hospital trusts failed to hit the target in September that 85 per cent of patients with an urgent cancer referral should begin treatment within 62 days of referral.

Commenting on figures, Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said: “It is clear from these figures that patients are being let down by an overstretched system. The delays that patients are facing, for the care they need, have almost become the norm and this is unacceptable.

“Demand is now so great that hospitals are experiencing a year round crisis. Front-line staff are under serious pressure and are working flat-out, but the system can’t cope with the number of patients needing to move through acute care, as the entire system is congested.

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“The entire health and social care system needs more capacity, including in accident and emergency departments, general practice and social and community care.

“The government must resolve the long-term funding, capacity and recruitment issues facing the system as a whole if we are to get to grips with the pressures hospitals face year in, year out, and which, as we currently seeing, are compounded during the winter months.”

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The median average time to initial assessment for attendances brought to A&E by ambulance was 6 minutes in September, with 95 per cent of patients being assessed within 2 hours 25 minutes.

For all patients receiving treatment, the median average time to treatment was 59 minutes with 95 per cent of patients receiving treatment within 3 hours 19 minutes, according to the figures from NHS Digital.

The median average total time in A&E for all patients was 2 hours 25 minutes, with 95 per cent of patients departing A&E within 6 hours 30 minutes of arrival.

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