NHS Accident and Emergency departments

Over the past decade, wait times of 12 hours or more and patients receiving undignified and unsafe care in non-clinical settings such as corridors have become commonplace in many NHS Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments. Since 2014, A&E departments at a national level have failed to meet the operational standard of 95% of patients being admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arriving. In 2023, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reported that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had not done enough to achieve targets to improve urgent and emergency care. The PAC's findings highlighted regional variations in ambulance services, unrealistic expectations around recruitment, and a lack of progress on delayed discharges meaning thousands of patients remained in hospital longer than was necessary. The National Audit Office (NAO) is due to report the findings of its evaluation of the impact of the government’s efforts to address challenges affecting A&E departments, and how effective these are likely to be in Autumn 2026 . Proceeding from the NAO’s report, the PAC will take evidence from witnesses including senior DHSC officials on subjects including the government's progress in reducing A&E wait times and the rate at which patients flow through hospitals. The Committee will welcome written evidence on these issues in due course. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues.