Health chiefs deny figure fixing claims

HEALTH chiefs have dismissed claims that accident and emergency patients are needlessly admitted to a bed to help meet targets.

The issue was raised at a recent NHS Lothian board meeting when chairman Dr Charles Winstanley said he had heard that, on occasion, the only way to hit the four-hour wait target was to change their status and give them a bed, even if they didn't need one.

That would mean the patient in question would come off the A&E records, and not be included in waiting times records.

Chief operating officer of acute services Jackie Sansbury confirmed that she had heard of this practice, but couldn't provide any proof that it was still happening.

She said: "People have said that's the case but there is nothing in the way of evidence to show that is happening."

Due to an increase of casualty patients in the past year the four-hour target has been missed by NHS Lothian, making it one of the worst performances in the country.