Nuneaton's A&E department one of the best performing in the country

Nuneaton's George Eliot Hospital was one of the top five best performing A&E departments in England in July.

It had previously been in the bottom quartile of Trusts for achieving the national four hour target, but the hospital says a new approach introduced this year has resulted in a 'dramatic turnaround' for the department.

The hospital said there were a number of factors that played a part in the turnaround which included changes made to the way the department prioritises the four hour target and the team reorganised meetings, including introducing a new command and control structure, resulting in clear accountability and action tracking. 

Improvements to patient experience, enhanced quality of care, improved flow within the hospital resulted in national recognition for the hospital’s achievements. 

A short temporary reduction in the attendance within A&E due to Covid-19 allowed the department to ensure the changes could be made, resulting in improved performance when attendance returned to pre-covid levels.

Director of Operations, Stephen Collman said: “The four hour target is a key measure of how our patients experience care in our Emergency Department and that’s why this achievement is so welcome.  Nationally all Trusts have faced the same issues as George Eliot Hospital and we have excelled in achieving difficult targets.  

“We are committed to keeping this up and making sure we maintain this performance into a challenging winter period and give our local community the care they want and deserve. We remain ready to serve our patients and urge them to seek treatment when they need it.”