According to NHS England statistics the number of people
attending A&E during September 2018 was just over 2 million (of
which emergency admissions accounted for 500k), an increase of 4.1%
on the same time last year. These statistics are reflected in the
increasing number of news bulletins reporting the pressure under
which most A&E units are struggling. A recent Supreme Court
ruling (Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust) that
non-clinical A&E receptionist staff also have a duty of care to
patients has been interpreted by some as adding additional strain
to a system on the verge of collapse.
Triage time was not mentioned
In 2010 Mr Darnley went, with a friend, to the Mayday Hospital
in Croydon with a serious head injury. On asking how long he was
likely to have to wait, the receptionist on duty replied that it
could be 4 to 5 hours before he saw a doctor, omitting to mention
that he would be triaged within 30 minutes. Feeling very unwell, he
decided that he
