Barnsley FT no longer in breach of licence for A&E

However, it is still in breach on financial grounds, the regulator said.

Monitor launched an investigation into the trust in April last year, following concerns about the trust’s finances and it’s A&E waiting times. At the time, the trust had breached the national quarterly targetto see 95 per cent of all A&E patients within four hours five times during 18 months.

Monitor regional director Paul Chandler said: “We stepped in at Barnsley because patients were waiting too long for treatment in its A&E department and because its finances had deteriorated so quickly.

“We are pleased with the improvements that have been made in A&E and it is good news for Barnsley that fewer people have to wait when they come to hospital.”

Trust chief executive Diane Wake said: “The four hour wait is an excellent indicator of how well we are performing as a trust – it is not just about A&E but how well we are able to pull patients through our system from seeing, treating, decision to admit, diagnostics, care plans through to timely discharge.

“The fact that we have improved our processes so much that we consistently met the 95 per cent target is a testament to how hard our staff have worked across the whole system. 

“Even in December – described nationally as ‘the worst performing month since records began’ – our staff pulled together to deliver 94.12 per cent achievement for our patients.”