Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times at accident and emergency departments in (a) Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske, (b) Derriford Hospital and (c) North Devon District Hospital.

The Government is committed to supporting the National Health Service to reduce accident and emergency (A&E) waiting times and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. In doing so, we will be honest about the challenges facing the health service and serious about tackling them.

As a first step, my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has appointed Lord Darzi to lead an independent investigation of NHS performance. This will report in September 2024.