The A&E target conundrum continues

Published: Aug. 5, 2022, 4 a.m.

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

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This aligns with clinical evidence about patient harm but it is at odds with NHS England\u2019s plans to replace the four-hour standard with \u2018a basket\u2019 of ten new metrics, which does not include a six-hour target.

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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\u2019s journey.

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Annabelle is joined by Matt Discombe and James Illman.