Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of overcrowding in A&E departments.
Answered by Karin Smyth
The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service during peak demand periods, including winter, and the impact this is having on accident and emergency waiting times.
We are committed to supporting the NHS to improve accident and emergency performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance sets national priorities, which include improving accident and emergency care so that a minimum of 78% of patients are seen within four hours as of March 2026, and a higher proportion of patients are admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.
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