NHS Chief Executive urged to pull back from scrapping the 4-hour A&E target

GMB SOUTHERN CALL ON NHS CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO HEED WARNING OF ROYAL COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND PULL BACK FROM SCRAPPING THE 4-HOUR A&E TARGET 

"These are the front line professionals who know what they are talking about" says GMB Southern

GMB have called on the NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens to heed the warning of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), and pull back from scrapping the 4-hour A&E target.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine have written to Simon Stevens [See notes to editors for full copy of the letter]. In the letter the college said:

"I would have thought that no-one wants to go back to the days of endless hours of waiting in A&E departments. Removing the standard will do this and hide the true scale of problems within our health service. The only ones who benefit from this are Ministers and NHS Managers, and certainly not patients"

The Four-Hour Standard was introduced to the NHS in England in 2004 to combat crowding in Emergency Departments, and has seen waiting times reduced since its introduction.

Paul Maloney, GMB Regional Secretary said: "GMB urge the NHS Chief Executive to heed this warning from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and retain this important 4 hour A&E target." He added "These are the front line professionals who know what they are talking about. The Chief Executive should listen to them for the good of the public who depend on the National Health Service."