Waiting times improve for second week in a row – but hospitals fail to meet target of 95% of patients seen within four hours

Attendances at A&E departments in England last week were the lowest since the autumn waiting times for A&E departments have improved for the second successive week, according to figures published by NHS England. However, the service failed to meet the target of 95% of patients seen within four hours.

In the week ending 18 January, 92.4% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour limit. Nearly 8,900 patients waited more than four hours for admission, which NHS England said was significantly down on the 12,000 recorded in the previous week. NEWHealth secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted: “Encouraging improvement in A&E waits this week. Thanks to all A&E staff working day&night to give patients great care.”

also showed percentages of patients being seen within four hours are rising although still below the crucial 95% target, a The 95% target has not been reached at major hospitals this winter – and not since September for the government’s preferred measure, which includes other emergency and minor injuries units.

Transferring patients from hospitals to other forms of care is, however, the worst this winter and higher than at any point last winter, with more than 4,000 beds a day being occupied by people medically fit to leave the wards.

The A&E statistics show 377,000 patients attended all units in the week ending Sunday, with two-thirds of them at major departments. These major units saw 88.5% of patients within four hours, far better than the 79.8% over the new year, but the last time these hit 95% was in July 2013. For all emergency units, the percentage seen within four hours was 92.4%.

Dame Barbara Hakin, national director of commissioning operations for NHS England, said: “For the second successive week, there has been an improvement in A&E performance and we are seeing nine out of 10 patients in England within four hours. It is encouraging that performance is moving in the right direction. Although the number of attendances and emergency admissions to A&E has eased, the NHS continues to face huge pressures on its frontline services – particularly A&E, NHS 111 and ambulance services.

“With severe weather warnings across the country, we continue to urge people – particularly the elderly – to stay warm and look after themselves. They should ensure they have proper medication, get their flu jab if they have not yet done so and seek advice from their pharmacist or their GPs for colds, coughs and minor ailments.”

The NHS 111 phoneline took 234,000 calls for the week, down from 255,000 the previous week and well down on the peak of 439,000 for the week ending 28 December.

The shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham, said: “These figures show that hospitals all over England remain at their limits and are sailing dangerously close to the wind.

“The Tory A&E crisis shows no sign of easing and too many patients continue to suffer poor care. It is having a damaging effect on the care of thousands of patients right across the NHS, with far too many now suffering the distress of having even the most urgent operations cancelled at the last minute.