Accident and Emergency Units

HC Deb 14 February 2002 vol 380 c675W

Mr. Baron

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on trends in waiting times in accident and emergency units since 1997. [34861]

Ms Blears

We are committed to reducing waiting times in accident and emergency departments. The NHS Plan set the target to reduce the maximum wait in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge to four hours by 2004.

Over 12-hour trolley waits have been reduced by over 50 per cent. since 1999 and over 24-hour waits have been virtually eliminated. The NHS is on track to meet the four-hour target, currently 77 per cent. of all accident and emergency attenders spend four hours or less in accident and emergency.