Reports of three-day waiting times at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and QEQM in Margate incorrect, say NHS chiefs
13:20, 30 October 2024
updated: 13:21, 30 October 2024
NHS chiefs say three-day delays being reported at two Kent hospitals on an app which provides live waiting times are incorrect.
The WaitLess mobile phone app says patients face hold-ups of more than 72 hours before being seen at urgent treatment centres at the William Harvey in Ashford and QEQM in Margate.
But hospital bosses have told KentOnline they are working to fix a technical issue that has caused the inaccurate information to be published.
Some people who had looked at the Waitless app remarked on social media that it would be quicker to call an ambulance or drive to another part of the county.
NHS chiefs have not yet said what the correct waiting times are.
A spokesperson for NHS Kent and Medway said: “We would like to reassure patients that people are not waiting more than three days to be seen at these locations.
“There is a technical issue causing the wrong waiting times to be displayed on WaitLess for urgent treatment centres in Margate and Ashford, which we are working to fix.”
Ken Rogers, the chairman of Concerns over Health in East Kent (CHEK) added: “There's never been a three-day wait anywhere and they wouldn't know what tomorrow’s numbers would be.
“There was a down on all the IT networks yesterday, so it could still be a result of that.”
If you are not sure where to go when you need urgent NHS help, people are being asked to use NHS 111 online or visit www.StopThinkChoose.co.uk.
NHS chiefs say the website has useful information on local services, including a map of pharmacies, which can help with a number of minor health conditions.
WaitLess is described as “a patient empowerment app designed to help patients make an informed decision about where to seek urgent medical attention, avoiding busy A&E departments where possible”.
Separately from urgent treatment centres, the A&Es at the Ashford and Margate hospitals have been beset by delays.
In July, 1,085 emergency patients were left waiting half a day or more to be admitted to a ward, with only two trusts nationally - in Birmingham and Sussex - reporting higher numbers.
