NewsBeat
12-hour A&E waits soar to record high in England
The number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E has soared to a record high.
The latest NHS England data shows the figure shot up from 50,775 in December to 71,517 in January. This is the highest number since monthly records began in August 2010.
The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission stood at 161,141 last month, up from 137,763 in December and the second highest figure on record.
Some 72.5 per cent of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, down from 73.8 per cent in December.
One in four people (137,763) in December waited for more than four hours between admission and staff finding them a bed, while one in 10 (50,775) waited more than 12 hours. That’s almost 50,000 more patients than the NHS target.
The Government and NHS England have set a target of March 2026 for 78 per cent of patients attending A&E to be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours.
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