Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take action to improve accident and emergency unit waiting times, in the light of reported missed targets over the last year.

National Health Service accident and emergency (A&E) departments are measured against a standard that at least 95% of patients should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival. The standard applies to all types of (A&E) departments, including major (A&E) departments, minor injury units, and walk-in centres.

This standard was met in all four quarters and for the whole of 2013-14, with performance at 95.7% for the year. It has been met for the first quarter (April to June) of 2014-15, with performance at 95.1%.

There were 21.8 million attendances at (A&E) departments in 2013-14 compared to 20.5 million in 2009-10, and in the face of rising demand not all patients are receiving care within the standard. NHS England, the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor are working with the most challenged providers and commissioners. £400 million has been made available this year to ensure local urgent and emergency care services are sustainable and prepared for winter.