Overview
- Drees published a national comparison of the Enquête urgences one-day surveys released Monday, June 1, showing the median ED visit rose to 3 hours 10 minutes in 2023 from 2 hours 15 minutes in 2013.
- The increase affected every patient path: single-consultation cases rose to a 1 hour 35 minute median, patients receiving technical exams (radiology/biology) rose to 3 hours 55 minutes, and those ultimately hospitalized rose to a 6 hour 30 minute median.
- About 9% of patients admitted to short-stay units inside EDs (UHCDs) now wait a median of 17 hours 30 minutes, an increase of 2 hours 40 minutes versus 2013.
- Front-end delays widened too: half of patients see a first evaluation within 8 minutes but one in ten wait more than 30 minutes, and half begin care within 30 minutes while one in ten wait at least 2 hours 30 minutes.
- The study is a national ‘photograph’ taken on a single weekday and shows longer stays in busier hospitals linked to downstream bed shortages and boarding, a trend that could worsen patient flow and staff strain during high-demand periods.