A&E waiting times hit their worst on record, figures show

A&E waiting times hit their worst on record, figures show The NHS is struggling with its worst winter ever as A&E waiting times hit their highest on record, damning figures released today reveal.

New data from NHS England shows the health service is operating at a poorer level than at the same point in 2016, which was branded a 'humanitarian crisis' and saw the British Red Cross drafted in to help.

The alarming statistics show:

• One in five patients at major casualty units waited longer than four hours - the safe limit set by the Government - to be seen in December
• The statistics showed that for all A&E units, 85.1 per cent of patients were seen within the four-hour period - equaling last January's record low. 
• More than 300,000 patients were forced to wait for at least four hours in all A&E units - the highest amount since figures began in 2010.
• Ambulance delays have also risen to record proportions, with more than 5,000 patients left stuck in the back of the vehicles waiting to be transferred to A&E.
• While bed occupancy levels have hit their worst point yet this winter, with 24 trusts declaring they had no free beds at some point last week, the figures show.

The 'disappointing' figures have been escalating rapidly in the past few weeks, with the crisis now at the forefront of a political row over funding. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Response to the latest NHS waiting time figures The King's Fund
• A&E chiefs warn PM that patients are dying in corridors The Daily Mail
• Hospital crowding soars amid rising cases of norovirus and 'Aussie' flu The Daily Telegraph
• Number of A&E patients treated within four hours at lowest ever level The Guardian
• How the NHS winter beds crisis is hitting patient care The Guardian
• The Guardian view on the NHS crisis: it’s not just the flu | Editorial The Guardian