Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to reports in Health Service Journal that the four hour A&E target has been abandoned until April 2019, said:

“Abandoning the A&E waiting target is a shocking indication of how the Tories are running down our NHS. The fact that NHS bosses are now admitting the four hour A&E target can’t be met is the clearest admission that Tory ministers have failed to give the NHS the funding desperately needs. Let’s be clear, the NHS is in crisis because of eight years of underfunding and cuts imposed by Downing Street.

“With the 18 week target for treatment last year effectively abandoned and now the A&E target abandoned for another year, it means that even more sick and critically ill patients will be forced to wait longer and longer for treatment. But with the government marking its own homework , this failure won’t be reported.

“Theresa May should be ashamed. Only Labour will give the NHS the money it needs to give patients quality of care.”

Ends