Coalition NHS waiting time target missed for 50th week in a row

The government's target for 95 per cent of patients to spend less than for hours waiting has been missed for the 50th week in a row.

The government’s target for 95 per cent of patients to spend less than four hours waiting in A&E has been missed for the 50th week in a row, according to new figures from NHS England.

More patients also waited longer than four hours than in any other spring period on record.

One of the government’s NHS targets states that 95 per cent of patients should be admitted, tranferred or discharged within four hours of their arrival at A&E.

However of the 3,765,418 patients that arrived at A&E departments in the three months to June, 992,559 were admitted while 279,517 patients were made to wait longer than four hours – a record for a the Q1 period (April to June).

Six million people a year are showing up at Accident and Emergency departments because they can’t get a GP appointment, according to a recent study by Imperial College London. Senior Tories have also warned the government that the NHS faces “collapse” in the next parliament if funding is not increased to meet rising demand.

Commenting on the new figures, Labour’s shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said:

“David Cameron has now got serious questions to answer on performance in A&E. These figures make his spin look even more outrageous and cement a feeling his statements on the NHS cannot be trusted,” he said.

“David Cameron is failing to face up to what is happening on the groun. It is deadly serious out there and he is spinning a different story. What is urgently needed is honesty from the prime minister and a plan to turn around under pressure A&Es,” he added.

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