Nearly 270 patients staying in QA hospital unnecessarily
Nearly 270 patients are staying in Queen Alexandra Hospital despite not meeting the criteria to remain there.
At a recent Portsmouth City Council health and overview scrutiny panel, Juliet Pearce, director of nursing at Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust, was questioned about current pressures at QA Hospital.
Emergency department (ED)
Waiting times in QA’s emergency department have slightly improved, although they rose and fell through the summer and early autumn.
Around 72.59 per cent of patients were admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours – a nine per cent improvement on the same period last year.
However, the proportion waiting 12 hours or more increased to 16.8 per cent in September.
To manage high demand, the trust set up an urgent primary and emergency care centre (UPEC) to support patients “that need urgent, but not emergency care”.
The report says the UPEC “helps us ensure patients are seen in a timely way, whilst reducing waiting times across our other services.”
A rapid assessment process is also being used to decide quickly whether someone should be treated in ED or directed to UPEC.
Patients not meeting criteria to reside
On 19 November 2025, Ms Pearce said 269 patients were staying in QA “that don’t meet the criteria to reside”.
She explained that high bed occupancy means patients who do need admission may face longer waits.
She said those remaining in hospital unnecessarily are there “because they can’t access community care, some of them will be waiting for an assessment, some of them will be waiting for capacity.
“That would cover anyone from a patient that needs a once a day package of care to someone who needs a nursing home or a residential placement.”
In September 2025, overall bed occupancy was 104.1 per cent, with medical beds at 113.5 per cent.
Vaccinations
As winter approaches, Ms Pearce said she is working to increase Flu, Covid and RSV vaccination rates among frontline staff.
She reported that 47 per cent of frontline workers are vaccinated, up from 41 per cent at the same point last year, with a target of 57 per cent by the end of the vaccination season.
She said that “mythbusting” around vaccinations has contributed to the improvement.
“I would love to get it to 75 per cent, i’m working on it daily,” she added.
The report can be found on the council’s website.