Royal Bolton Hospital: A&E wait times hit 13 hours

The hospital trust said it would prioritise those who needed its help most

Wait times at an accident and emergency department hit 13 hours on Friday.

Patients were warned of delays at the Royal Bolton Hospital but wait times have since fallen to two to four hours.

The Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said it had treated more than 1,500 patients in A&E since New Year's Day and 5 January.

Dr Manisha Kumar, chief medical officer at NHS Greater Manchester, said "significant plans" were in place to deal with the busy period.

"The NHS is here for you," she told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We have made significant plans in order to make sure we can deliver the care to the most unwell and those who need it most even during periods of increased business like industrial action."

Junior doctors started six days of strike action on Wednesday in their dispute over pay, in what could be the longest stoppage in the history of the NHS.

'January challenges'

Dr Kumar said the public needed to be aware that wait times might be longer due to the ongoing industrial action and the busy time of year.

"We will treat the most unwell as a priority and we will get to everybody as quickly as we can," she said.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said strikes and seasonal illnesses such as viruses and sickness bugs were having a significant impact on its services.

Dr Francis Andrews, medical director at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: "January often brings challenges for us and over the past few days we have seen more people arriving in our emergency department than we have patients being discharged from hospital back to the place they call home.

"We understand how worrying it can be when you're not feeling well, but it's really important, especially at times like this, that you think carefully about where the best place is for your care and treatment."

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