‘WE KNOW we can do better’ – these are the words of Basingstoke hospital’s boss regarding the wait at its emergency department.

Reporting to the trust’s board of directors at a meeting on November 28, Alex Whitfield said Basingstoke hospital's emergency department is "flagging as a concern due to the unusual waits for non-admitted patients". 

She added: “We know we can do better, especially for non-admitted patients where bed flow should have much less of an impact.”

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She said the ‘four-hour standard’ wait ‘remains a focus’ and is providing a challenge, resulting in Hampshire having fortnightly meetings with the national improvement team.

A new Urgent Treatment Centre opened in Basingstoke in the Lasham Centre on November 19, which Ms Whitfield said would see the majority of non-admitted patients for treatment and discharge in under four hours.

“It will also help to ensure that the emergency patients can receive more focused care in the emergency department,” she added.