THOUSANDS of patients are not being dealt with quickly enough at our area’s main A&E unit.

Colchester General Hospital’s emergency department has missed strict Government waiting times for more than a year.

In the last three months, fewer than 78 per cent of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

The Government target is 95 per cent.

Of the 17,362 people who attended A&E between January and March, 3,935 were not seen in time.

The hospital had the second worst results in England, ahead of only Hull and East Yorkshire Hospital.

Hospital trust chief operating officer Dr Shane Gordon admitted performance had dropped over the winter months but said work is underway to improve the situation.