Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety over performance on the four-hour A&E target this winter in England.
This message was conveyed during a meeting with hospital leaders and NHS officials in London on Monday as concerns grow about increasing winter pressures.
Recent data revealed significant strain on hospitals at this stage of winter, with long ambulance wait times outside A&E and 95% of hospital beds occupied.
Government sources assured that NHS performance against the target would not result in penalties, focusing on prioritizing patients based on clinical necessity.
While the target remains in place, the emphasis is on meeting patients’ clinical needs rather than strict adherence to the four-hour A&E target.
Realistic expectations for the upcoming months are necessary to navigate the challenges ahead.
Efforts to reduce ambulance delays were highlighted, especially as two-thirds of crews faced prolonged waits in early December, hampering their response to emergency calls.
Meeting the target requires seeing 95% of patients within four hours, but statistics for October show only 73% are currently being met.
Following the meeting with over 700 health leaders, Streeting stressed the need to prioritize patient safety and address challenges in ambulance delays and A&E wait times.
NHS England CEO Amanda Pritchard underscored the unprecedented demand facing the health service this winter, urging collaboration among all sectors to manage patient needs effectively.
Dr. Tim Cooksley of the Society for Acute Medicine expressed concern over the need for clear priorities set by the health secretary for frontline staff, emphasizing the challenges they face to deliver safe care.
He criticized the government for lacking a comprehensive strategy to address emergency care pressures, citing disparities in targets for urgent and non-urgent care delivery.
While Labour previously pledged to meet all NHS performance targets, including A&E, there is uncertainty about achieving the four-hour target post-election.