The A&E target conundrum continues

This week we revisit the thorny subject of A&E standards, following calls for a new six-hour target to be introduced.

This aligns with clinical evidence about patient harm but it is at odds with NHS England’s plans to replace the four-hour standard with ‘a basket’ of ten new metrics, which does not include a six-hour target.

Also this week - we discuss news that more trusts have started publishing data showing thousands of 12-hour waits in their emergency departments, representing a huge difference to the numbers published nationally, for which the clock starts from a later point in the patient’s journey.

Annabelle is joined by Matt Discombe and James Illman.