Queen’s Hospital A&E ward has seen a fall in the time it takes patients to be seen after arriving by ambulance.

Emergency care at the hospital was criticised by health watchdog Quality Care Commission (CQC) following an inspection in March.

One of the areas of concern was the time ambulance patients were forced to wait before treatment, but BHRUT, which runs the hospital, said it had hit its target time of under an hour during the past 12 weeks.

In April there were 41 patients who had to wait an hour or more – which is called a black breach. In May this had dropped to four and in June, two.

Speaking to the Post and Barking MP Margaret Hodge on Friday, A&E Clinical Director Dr Derek Hicks said they would be knocking down the walls of a number of treatment rooms to create one room where emergency patients will come after arriving by ambulance.

He explained this should make it easier and quicker to receive and treat patients, cutting waiting times down further.

Mrs Hodge said the results were promising, but told the Post she noticed that patients on beds were still waiting in corridors as she left the ward.

“There should never be patients in corridors – that is unacceptable,” she said.