Analysis of the distribution of time that patients spend in emergency departments

Comment Although the departments studied performed well, older patients and those who were subsequently admitted were in the emergency department for longer than others, reflecting the findings of the recent National Audit Office report. 4 Our interpretation of these findings is limited by the lack of national data on the distribution of total time in emergency departments before the introduction of the four hour target. What is already known on this topic Data published by the Department of Health show that the performance of emergency departments in England has improved when assessed by the proportion of patients treated within the current government target of four hours What this study adds One in eight patients who are subsequently admitted are moved out of the emergency department in the final 20 minutes of the four hour target period This article was posted on bmj.com on 20 April 2005: http://bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.38440.588449.AE