'Significant' rise in A&E waits of more than 12 hours

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust described the pressure on hospital services in December as "extreme"

Nearly 350 people waited more than 12 hours in A&E for a bed at Somerset's two biggest hospitals in December 2024.

This compares to 95 patients in the same month in 2023 - a rise of 268%.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said it had a high number of "very unwell" patients who needed to be admitted to its hospitals in Taunton and Yeovil at the end of last year.

The trust said new measures are being introduced to reduce waiting times. It said pressure had since eased but services had been "very busy" in the past two weeks.

The waiting time data came from a report to the Somerset Integrated Care Board which met on Thursday.

In a statement, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust said it "experienced a period of extreme pressure" at its emergency departments at Yeovil Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, in December.

"We saw a high number of very unwell patients and those with respiratory-related illnesses such as influenza, who needed to be admitted to hospital," the spokesperson added.

The hospitals also experienced a rise in patients who were well enough to be discharged but could not leave because there was no care package available for them, according to the trust.

The spokesperson said new measures, including working with organisations to provide more supported care at home and in the community, are being implemented and it has recruited more staff.

The trust is also piloting an urgent care centre at Musgrove Park and is introducing respiratory hubs in some GP practices.