Waiting times in Bradford Royal Infirmary's accident and emergency department came under the microscope yesterday.

And staff at the hospital - which has one of the largest casualty caseloads in the country - were praised for their teamwork and efficiency.

The Casualty Watch was part of an annual national snapshot survey of casualty waiting times by community health councils across Britain which made simultaneous checks at 4.30pm in more than a hundred emergency departments.

At BRI there were 33 people waiting to be treated, compared with the 22 patients who were monitored during last year's survey.

The longest waiting time was three hours and eight minutes for a woman patient who arrived in A&E at 1.20pm, was assessed at 3.45pm and admitted to a ward at 4.30pm.

Patients suffering serious medical complaints - including severe chest pains and a possible stroke - were dealt with immediately. The remainder were seen well within the predicted three hours waiting time.

However, one man who arrived in casualty at 12.40pm complaining of back pains, was not prepared to wait and left the department at 4.45pm.

Bradford Community Health Council chief officer Lesley Sterling-Baxter said the overall findings of the survey showed there was no cause for concern in Bradford.

She said: "The department was considerably busier than it was during last year's survey, but people were still being dealt with quickly and efficiently".

Tony Shenton, head of BRI's A&E department, said the majority of patients understood the pressures staff faced and subsequent waiting times.

He said: "Everyone is assessed and cases are prioritised accordingly.''

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