This article was about UK NHS patients making a high number of repeat visits to A&E (Accident & Emergency) locations. 'Waiting time' was mentioned within the article.
1/6/14, "A&E: Some patients visit units 50 times a year," BBC, Nick Triggle
"Many hospitals are already struggling to hit their waiting-time targets.
In England, the four-hour target was missed in the first two weeks of December, but the numbers attending A&Es eased over the Christmas period and the target has been met for the past fortnight. However, that overall figure masks the struggle the biggest units are facing.
Of the 144 major centres, more than 60 failed to hit the target during the Christmas week despite the number of patients dropping by nearly 10%."...
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June 2013, more on NHS A&E "wait time:"
6/4/13, "NHS 'misses A&E waiting time target'," BBC, Nick Triggle
"The NHS in England missed its A&E waiting time target in the first three months of the year, researchers say.
That represented 5.9% of patients when the NHS is only allowed a leeway of 5% - the worst performance for nine years.
There is also evidence performance in areas such as infection control and cancer care could be deteriorating."...
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(Inset to 6/4/13 article): Analysis by BBC's Nick Triggle: Before 4+ hour waits were 12 hour waits; UK NHS employees rig the system to disguise actual worse stats, waits are longer than reported statistics:
"The A&E target certainly made a big difference when it was first introduced. Waits of 12 hours were not unheard of before the four-hour target came into force in England a decade ago.
But like all targets, it is a blunt tool too. Patients undoubtedly enjoy much shorter waits than they did - even during these last few months. When the target was brought in nearly twice as many patients were waiting longer than four hours than the numbers during the peak this winter.
However, there are ways to play the system. Two of the most common are getting ambulances to queue before hospital staff will take their patients on (to stop the clock starting), and transferring patients from A&E to wards set up alongside them - often known as medical assessment units or clinical decision units (so the clock stops)."
While the statistics will say only a very few patients wait for over four hours, the reality - as many testify - is somewhat different, whether the target is hit or missed."
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October 2013:
10/4/13, "NHS A&E units failing to meet targets triple in a year," UK Guardian
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"Thirty-nine departments failed to see 95% of patients within four hours in England, up from 14 units for same period in 2012."
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