HOSPITAL patients in Leeds may still have to wait for more than four hours to be admitted onto wards, it has been revealed.

And in one case at the Leeds General Infirmary, one patient in accident and emergency waited for longer than 14 hours.

The Leeds Community Health Council says waiting times are better than last year, but still

unacceptable. While an Otley councillor says it is further proof that the service needs to be improved as a matter of urgency.

"These figures show what we have been saying for some time and the LGI is worse than St James's, it must be the worst hospital in the area," said Councillor Colin Campbell. "It's just not acceptable."

The national annual spot check, carried out by community health councils, took place at the accident and emergency departments at both St James's and the LGI at 4.30pm on Monday, March 26.

There were 51 patients at St James's Hospital with three waiting to be admitted.

And at the LGI there were 52 patients with 13 waiting to be

admitted.The longest wait from the decision to admit was one and a half hours for a patient at St James's and seven hours and 20 minutes for a patient at the

LGI.

While the longest wait was five hours, 15 minutes at St James's and 14 hours, 23 minutes at the LGI.

Colin Perry, chief officer of Leeds Community Health Council, said: "Despite a 5.5 per cent increase in admissions to accident andemergency this year, this is an improvement on last year in terms of long waits.

"However too many patients are still waiting over four hours for a bed once a decision has been made to admit them."

Last month, Otley Town Council wrote to Alan Milburn, health secretary, complaining about conditions in Leeds

accident and emergency departments and waiting times.

Coun Campbell added: "So far we've not had a reply from either Alan Milburn or the health

trust.

"These figures simply reinforce what we have been saying for years that the A&E at LGI is not serving patients as well as it should and the time has come for something to be done.

"It simply is not good enough to say it is better than it was last year," said Coun Campbell. "The conditions are no better than in a third world hospital."