Waiting times are increasing at York and Scarborough hospital emergency departments with almost 20 per cent of people waiting more than 12 hours before being seen.

The figure was presented in a monthly report to the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s board of directors on Wednesday, November 29.

It shows that 19.7 per cent of accident and emergency attendants – or 2,063 patients – waited for more than 12 hours in October this year, a two per cent increase from September.

The trust, which runs York Hospital, is aiming to get that figure down to 7.5 per cent (150 patients), but it has only been under 10 per cent in two separate months since December 2022.

“We’re not the highest when looking at other trusts but it is too high,” chief executive Simon Morritt said.

“We need to significantly reduce the numbers.”

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York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s new chair has said that waiting times are one of his focuses in his first board of directors meeting since taking over from interim chair Mark Chamberlain.

“I am delighted to have been appointed and work with you and thank you for all your support,” Mr Barkley said, whilst paying tribute to Mark Chamberlain who served as interim chair before his appointment.

“He has set very good foundations for me as the chair,” he added.

“I think it’s really important for me to do my best to re-establish trust and confidence the governors have in the board.”

Mr Barkley also said he would be “getting out and seeing services the trust provides because there’s an awful lot I need to learn” and “test out and seek assurance about the plans the trust has regarding maternity, waiting times, reducing trolley waits, the financial situation and the development of the five-year strategy.”

He said he would “make much-needed improvements for the patients and the staff who work here” and that he believed in the “importance of distributive leadership rather than heroic leadership".