Derriford Hospital is top!

Derriford Hospital's Emergency Department has been named as the best in the country for seeing patients within the national target, as the vast majority of patients coming to the department at Derriford Hospital are being seen within four hours or less.

According to data submitted to the Trust Development Authority, 98.6% of patients attending our emergency department have been seen within the national four hour target, making us the best in the country – for the second time over the winter period.

Kevin Baber, Chief Operating Officer for Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is great news for patients attending our emergency department and is a true reflection of the hard work and efforts of our staff, not only those working in the department but also the rest of the hospital.

“We are not complacent and we recognise we are still in the winter period. However, we did a lot of planning in the lead-up to winter to make sure we were as prepared as we could be, including opening a short stay ward, which provides targeted care for medical patients requiring a stay in hospital of less than 72 hours.

“Our staff have worked hard to embed the “Plan for Every Patient”, a tool used between in-hospital professionals and external agencies to aid communication and ensure we give the right care at the right time to patients.”

Dr Stephen Dunn, Director at the NHS Trust Development Authority said: “This performance stands as a testament to the hard work that Plymouth have and continue to put into making sure that patients are being seen as quickly as possible in A&E.

“There is still a lot of winter to get through and that isn’t going to be easy, but Plymouth and others continue to show what can be achieved if everyone in the NHS pulls together to try and tackle these challenges.”