Black Country hospitals among England's best - and worst - for A&E performance

Latest NHS figures show Russells Hall Hospital, run by the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, saw almost 100 per cent of its patients within four hours.

The numbers cover the week ending January 18 and show that of 1,684 A&E patients at the Dudley hospital, 98.5 per cent were seen in time.

The NHS target is 95 per cent but hospitals across the country and elsewhere in the Black Country fell woefully short.

At Walsall Manor Hospital only 73 per cent were seen within four hours, one of the worst in England.

Chief executive Richard Kirby said the hospital was facing 'significant pressure' with emergency admissions up almost 30 per cent in the past two years.

He added: "As a consequence, some patients are waiting longer in A&E than we would like before they can be admitted to a ward.

"Here in Walsall we are doing all we can to continue to provide services to our local population."

Russells Hall's good performance follows on from it being the only hospital in the Midlands to hit the 95 per cent target for October, November and December's combined figures.

Chief executive Paula Clark said: "We would still ask patients to do their bit and only attend A&E if they have a real emergency or are facing a life-threatening condition.

"They should think twice before coming to Russells Hall Hospital and consider other options such as their GP, local pharmacist or walk-in centre."

Elsewhere in the Black Country, New Cross Hospital's poor A&E numbers continued with staff seeing 88 per cent of patients.

Sandwell And West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust fared better with 93 per cent of patients seen at its two A&E units at Sandwell General Hospital and City Hospital.

In Staffordshire the numbers get even lower, with only 68 per cent seen at Royal Stoke University Hospital's A&E department.

Helen Lingham, chief operating officer, said: "Like many other trusts we are still experiencing significantly increased demand on our services, particularly in the Emergency Department.

"We are working with our community partners to manage demand and we are opening additional beds in the six months between October 2014 and March this year.

"Construction on a critical care unit, two wards and two state-of-the-art modular wards and theatres is well under way on the Royal Stoke site and these will be ready for use by the spring to help increase capacity.

"The trust is putting in place additional measures to ensure people are seen as soon as possible and to reduce the longest waiting times."