§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards meeting the four hour maximum waiting time target for accident and emergency departments in(a) England and (b) each NHS region. [91128]
§ Mr. LammyThe NHS Plan set the target for accident and emergency (A&E) departments to reduce the maximum wait in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge to four hours by December 2004.
In quarter two 2002–03, 77 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours total time in A&E in England.
The table shows this figure broken down into strategic health authorities.
149W
Name of strategic health authority in England Total attendance at major A&E Percentage of patients who spent less than four hours in A&E Greater Manchester HA 214,486 77 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 179,833 75 Thames Valley HA 101,727 71 Hampshire and Isle of Wight HA 78,699 79 Kent and Medway HA 88,867 71 Surrey and Sussex HA 155,325 75 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 118,453 78 South West Peninsula HA 76,484 79 Somerset and Dorset HA 57,018 84 South Yorkshire HA 95,108 90 Trent HA 127,945 83 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 59,710 68 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 72,812 73 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 176,872 83 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire HA 83,804 82