PCT raises fears over Royal Berkshire A&E

The Berkshire primary care trust cluster’s board assurance framework said there was a risk of breaching national performance targets.

The impact of this was rated four out of five, and the likelihood rated three, making the risk “extreme”.

Capacity in the trust’s A&E department, and patient awareness of alternatives to A&E were both identified as “gaps in control”.

Additional permanent nurse staffing in A&E had been agreed, and plans to open an extra four to six bays, and a longer term project to “model projected demand and redesign the urgent care flow” had been agreed.