Almost 3 million patients in England waited more than four hours to be dealt with by A&E last year, the highest number since records began 16 years ago.
Figures from NHS England show 88% of patients were dealt with in four hours or less in 2018-19, the lowest-ever level, down from 88.3% in 2017-18.
A&E departments are meant to treat and then admit, discharge or transfer 95% of patients within four hours. The new data reveals that 2,978,010 people were not dealt with in the target time last year.
The performance is worse in A&E departments at major hospitals: 81.5% of patients in what are termed “type 1” hospital A&Es were dealt with within four hours in 2018-19, compared with 82.4% the year before.
Full Story: The Guradian, 11th April 2019