Bath MP Wera Hobhouse has praised frontline staff at the Royal United Hospital’s Emergency Department after visiting the unit to see how teams are coping with winter pressures.
Wera Hobhouse MP with John Palmer, Managing Director and Kheelna Bavalia, Chief Medical Officer
Mrs Hobhouse was given a tour of the site on 30th January by Tracey Thorn, Senior Matron in the Emergency Department, who spoke of the significant pressures the department has been facing due to a sustained increase in demand for urgent and emergency care.
This winter has seen an early and challenging flu season, alongside a prolonged cold snap after Christmas, both of which have contributed to increased illness in the community.
The department has also seen many clinically unwell patients with high acuity needs arriving at the Emergency Department and requiring admission to hospital.
Analysis of NHS figures shows A&E attendances at the trust hit 17,521 in June and July last year, an increase of more than 48% from a decade ago.
The increase in A&E attendances is in part attributable to the difficulty many patients experience in trying to get a GP appointment.
Locally in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire (BSW) region, waits of over two weeks have increased from 497,427 in 2020 to 1,002,021 in 2025, an increase of 101%. Waits of over 28 days for an appointment have increased by 89% to 321,299 in the same period.
Previous analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research found that one in eight of those who could not get a GP appointment went to A&E instead.
Mrs Hobhouse also heard how the increase in demand was affected by the new W45 ambulance protocol, “Withdraw at 45 Minutes” (W45), which aims to ensure that patient handover from ambulance crew to emergency department staff is completed within 15 minutes, but no later than 45 minutes.
This was devised with the aim of reducing the wait for ambulance services, however the Bath MP heard how it has presented new challenges for the RUH A&E, which is struggling with increasing levels of attendance and out-of-date infrastructure.
This places more pressure on emergency care, which has seen record long 12-hour A&E waits.
In January in particular, the RUH experienced peak demand. Despite these difficult conditions, the Bath MP heard of the dedication of staff, working harder than ever for their patients.
Tracey Thorn, Senior Matron in the Emergency Department, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of our A&E team here at the RUH. This winter has been one of the most challenging we have seen and they’ve worked tirelessly to cope with the huge demand for treatment. This effort is testament to their incredible dedication to their patients and colleagues.”
Wera Hobhouse commented: “The incredibly hardworking staff at the RUH are doing their best under these challenging circumstances, which are completely beyond their control.
“Our emergency teams are suffering an emergency of their own. But things won’t change unless we fix the problem in primary care.
“Far too many people are struggling to get a GP appointment when they need one, leaving them waiting anxiously for the care they deserve and all too often resorting to A&E to get treatment.”
Mrs Hobhouse highlighted the Liberal Democrats’ campaign to give everyone the right to see a GP within seven days, or within 24 hours if they urgently need to.
“We would increase the number of full-time equivalent GPs by 8,000, which would increase the number of GP appointments by 65 million”, she said.
“By guaranteeing a GP appointment when people need it, we will reduce the pressure on hospitals, including on the dedicated teams at our very own RUH, saving crucial time and money elsewhere in the NHS.”
