A GROUP tasked with improving NHS trusts will work with hospitals in Gloucestershire to reduce emergency department waiting times after previous efforts to reach a solution failed.  

NHS Improvement (previously known as Monitor) will be providing extra support to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to help make sure patients in Gloucester and Cheltenham are seen more quickly in accident and emergency.

Following a Monitor probe in March, the trust put in place an improved accident and emergency recovery plan – but failure to reduce waiting times to a satisfactory level means further action is required.

Regional director at NHS Improvement Claudia Griffith said: “We recognise that Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has already started work on reducing patient waiting times and welcome the efforts of its clinical teams to achieve this.

“However, there are significant changes that still need to be made to make sure patients are being seen more quickly.

“We will work closely with the trust to make sure it has everything in place to develop a robust recovery plan so it can continue to make positive changes.”

NHS Improvement is working closely with the trust to help it make improvements to its emergency department and ensure its board supports the action taken.

The trust has already begun to take action, including efforts by its clinical team to improve the experience of patients.

A new chief executive has also joined Gloucestershire hospitals and the trust has appointed an improvement director to provide additional expert advice on improving emergency care.

To help make sure these improvements continue at a god pace, the trust will work with other health and social care organisations in the area so that urgent care services outside of the hospital complement and support the improvements inside the hospital environment.

NHS Improvement will monitor the trust’s progress and will take further regulatory action if necessary.