JUBILANT hospital bosses celebrated beating the odds to hit the national A&E target for the quarter despite a record number of patients piling through the doors.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital’s beleaguered A&E department was praised by board members for managing to treat 95.8% of patients in April, May and June within the four hour limit.

Hospital executives piled praise on the department at a board of directors meeting on Monday for the swift turn around, after it only managed to treat 92.1% of patients within the four hour target from April last year to March. Urgent care director Sue Edees told the meeting: “The good news is that we have achieved A&E target for May and achieved it for June and the quarter.”

The rapid recovery has come despite a record 361 patients arriving at the under-fire A&E department on Monday last week, against an average of 260 last year and in May the unit had the busiest week in the Trust’s 175-year history.

Between Thursday, May 15, and Tuesday, May 20, an average of 319 patients per day piled into the Emergency Department, hitting a peak of 331 on the Saturday, whilst the highest number of admissions was recorded on the Monday, with 110 patients.

Despite the good news Dr Edees stressed the unit will not become complacent and is already gearing up for the usual winter surge.

She said: “We are putting all our efforts into anticipation of next winter.”

But board chairman Stephen Billingham welcomed the results and said: “We should say well done to A&E – keep at it.”

Non-executive director Janet Rutherford added: “I would too. The CQC commended it in a number of ways and to do this under pressure is amazing.”