For the first time in four years we are reporting the national four-hour urgent and emergency care standard across our hospitals.

This means patients who come to our hospitals for unplanned treatment, such as in an emergency or without an appointment, should be seen and treated then and either discharged, admitted to a ward or transferred to another place of care within four hours.

The four-hour standard hasn’t been reported at Frimley Health since 2019 when we were named among 14 trusts to pilot alternative measures of performance. That pilot has now ended and our teams are working collaboratively to increase capacity in our hospitals and ensure patients receive safe and timely care in the most clinically appropriate setting.

This includes reducing avoidable attendances in our emergency departments, bringing in the expertise of specialty teams as soon as possible, maximising flow through our hospitals and services and helping patients to go home as soon as it is safe for them to do so.

And we are working with our health and care partners, including ambulance services, GPs and social care providers, to reduce avoidable hospital attendances and delays to discharges.

We are also reminding our communities to only come to our EDs in emergencies and life-threatening situations and encouraging them to use other services such as NHS111, GP surgeries, urgent care centres and pharmacies where appropriate.

Caroline Hutton, Frimley Health’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “An acute hospital is absolutely the best place for someone who needs acute care. But if they don’t, they are likely to receive more appropriate care - and recover faster - in another setting, such as at home or in the community.