[WATCH] Health minister targets treatment of 90% of A&E patients in under four hours

A&E Rapid Response Unit treated 92 patients since May • Video: Chris Mangion

Health minister Chris Fearne pledged that 90% of patients at the Accident and Emergency Department will receive treatment in under four hours.

Fearne told a press conference that the figure currently stands at 80%, a significant achievement considering that the average waiting time at A&E stood at 13 hours only three years ago.

“The figure exceeds that set out by government in the Patients’ charter and has been made possible thanks to staff increases and improvements in the efficiency of human resources,” he said.

Fearne was speaking during the official launch of two rapid emergency response cars, that provide immediate on-site treatment to victims of serious accidents before they get ambulanced to A&E.

They are manned by two physicians, Michael Spiteri and Joanthan Joslin, who are on call 24/7 and who have treated 92 patients since commencing their services last May.

These included eight traffic accidents, three fire incidents, three falling incidents, and two major accidents – the collapse of a balcony at the Barracuda restaurant and this week’s gas leakage from a school van’s air conditioner.

Fearne hailed the two doctors, saying that their intervention could prove the difference between life and death in some cases.