The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
Quarter 0-1 hours 1-2 hours 2-3 hours 3-4 hours >4 hours Total attendances 2008-09 4 2,965 3,747 2,365 2,275 217 11,569 2009-10 1 3,089 4,319 2,897 2,339 160 12,804 2009-10 2 3,363 4,247 3,006 2,213 135 12,964
Information on the average length of stay by hour, 2008-09 is in Table 1.
Information on the number of A&E attendances recorded in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) and quarterly monitoring of accident and emergency (QMAE), 2008-09 is in Table 2.
Notes:
1. Information on waiting times in A&E facilities is collected by the Department for its QMAE dataset. Trusts do not submit information on average waiting times, but they do submit information on time spent from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge in hourly time bands.
2. A&E Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data are not based on the same data definitions as those used for the quarterly QMAE central return. The A&E HES data are at patient level and are sourced from the A&E commissioning data set while the QMAE data is based on a Department of Health aggregate data collection and is published by the Department.
3. The arrival and departure times differ between A&E HES and QMAE. The A&E HES data may include time spent within A&E after the clinical episode has been concluded but before the patient has obtained family or private transport from the A&E department. QMAE remains the official source of information on A&E attendances and performance on the 4-hour standard. The NHS Plan sets out that no one should wait more than four hours in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. To allow for exceptional circumstances, the operational standard of 98.0 per cent. has been adopted.
Source:
Department of Health—QMAE dataset
Average stay in minutes (duration to departure) Hour of arrival Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust All providers in A&E HES data for 2008-09 00:00 152.59 126.36 01:00 149.58 176.40 02:00 149.99 178.31 03:00 145.38 179.63 04:00 153.19 184.30 05:00 151.50 187.96 06:00 145.91 182.59 07:00 118.20 146.83 08:00 103.08 118.57 09:00 100.26 113.58 10:00 107.84 124.83 11:00 114.60 133.67 12:00 121.19 140.17 13:00 112.15 129.51 14:00 108.08 125.39 15:00 104.47 124.60 16:00 102.24 125.55 17:00 106.27 129.26 18:00 107.68 131.24 19:00 108.19 133.97 20:00 113.74 141.02 21:00 113.86 145.53 22:00 118.40 150.42 23:00 133.40 154.67 Source: HES
England Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation HES Total attendances 13,266,413 48,245 Number of patients who spent less than four hours in A&E1 12,352,871 46,719 Percentage of patients who spent less than four hours in A&E 93.1 96.8 QMAE Total attendances 19,588,017 48,313 Number of patients who spent less than four hours in A&E1 19,208,874 47,512 Percentage of patients who spent less than four hours in A&E 98.1 98.3 1 Type 1 departments (consultant-led, major departments). Source: HES
The information requested is a matter for Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Rosalinde Wyke, Chair of Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, informing her of the hon. Member's inquiry. She will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.