East London hospital trust A&E improves despite overcrowding

The A&E departments of an east London hospital trust have registered their best performance since 2020.

However, the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust (BHRUT) said it was still having problems with overcrowding.

Of the 28,000 people admitted to A&E, about 75% were discharged within four hours, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But the units are treating twice as many patients they were designed for.

Matthew Trainer, chief executive of the trust, said: "Every day, more than 600 people go through a department designed for 300.

"This means too many older people are spending the night on beds in corridors, and we have lots more to do to reduce waits for everyone."

The figures, published by NHS England, compare monthly performance year-on-year. They show of about 28,000 people admitted to A&E at the trust, some 21,000 were discharged within four hours

Steady improvement over 2023 also saw the trust jump from being one of the worst performing in the country into the top 25.

Mr Trainer said it was "a testament to our clinical and operational teams".

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