NHS England has moved a step closer to scrapping the four-hour A&E waiting time target, and has announced that it is to trial a new set of standards.

Under a pilot scheme at small number of hospitals, the length of time every patient spends in A&E will be recorded, yielding an average waiting time, as has been introduced for ambulance waiting times.

It also includes the aim of treating every person who arrives at A&E experiencing a mental health crisis within an hour.

Since ending the four-hour target was first mooted it has raised fears that it could lead to patients being left untreated for hours, and concern that the move might be motivated by political expediency rather than patient safety.

NHS England, however, says it will ensure faster life-saving treatment for those with the most critical conditions, such as heart attacks, sepsis, strokes and severe asthma attacks.

Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director for the NHS in England and the leader of the review, said: “Now is the right time to look again at the old targets, which have such a big influence on how care is delivered, to make sure that they take account of the latest treatments and techniques, and support, not hinder, staff to deliver the kind of responsive, high-quality services that people want to see.”

Labour introduced the measure in 2004, stipulating that hospitals had to treat 98% of A&E patients within four hours, before the coalition government reduced the target to 95% in 2010. It has not been met nationally since July 2015.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said it was important to retain the four-hour metric, but that it could be complemented by other standards.

Dr Taj Hassan, the RCEM’s president, said: “We are keen to ensure that any changes are not imposed due to political will but are developed responsibly, collaboratively and are based upon clinical expert consensus in the best interests of patients.

“Robust joint evaluation of any new measures will need to be developed to ensure that any potential change can prove more effective and safer than the existing arrangements before they are adopted.”