Hundreds of patients had to wait more than 12 hours for a bed at Croydon University Hospital, the latest NHS figures have revealed.

In October 2022, a total of 16,844 people attended A&Es run by the Croydon NHS trust. Out of this number, 1,131 were actually admitted to hospital.

The majority of those admitted, 828, had to wait more than four hours for a bed, while a shocking 470 patients had to wait more than 12 hours after staff decided they needed to see a doctor

In October, 72 per cent of patients at the hospital were dealt with in four hours or less. The NHS target is for 95 per cent of patients at A&E to be admitted, transferred or discharged in this time frame.

Across the country NHS staff faced the busiest October ever for A&E attendances and most serious ambulance callouts. 

More than 2.17 million patients turned up to emergency departments around England.

Dr Subhro Banerjee, medical director and emergency department consultant at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust said: “Like many hospitals, our services are under extreme pressure and we are continuing to work across the trust and with our partners in social care to ensure anyone who is well enough after a hospital stay is able to be discharged to reduce delays for patients waiting for admission.

“More than 90per cent of patients who visit our emergency department are treated and discharged from our care without the need for a hospital admission, and we are continuing to expand our initiatives to see and treat people through our community rapid response services and virtual wards, which enables our dedicated teams to care for patients in their own homes, and freeing up hospital beds for those who need them most.”

Last week, the NHS launched a national campaign encouraging people to call 111 for urgent help on a wide range of health problems. It estimates up to two-fifths of A&E attendances are avoidable or could be better treated elsewhere.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “Last month our hard-working staff contended with another record month of A&E attendances and the most serious ambulance call-outs, which is only the tip of the iceberg of the growing pressures that the NHS is facing this winter, including the threat of a ‘twindemic’ of covid and flu, and reduced hospital capacity caused by issues discharging patients into social care.

“This new campaign will remind the public that NHS 111 online is available to signpost people to the best option for their care needs ahead of winter -it can provide the most appropriate local treatment option for medical issues quickly without needing to leave your home and saving you an unnecessary trip to A&E.”