The key NHS targets that have never been met
Most key NHS targets have been missed for at least seven years across the UK, BBC News research shows.
The review of records going back 20 years also reveals Northern Ireland and Wales have never met the four-hour accident-and-emergency (A&E) target.
The analysis focused on the three key hospital targets, covering A&E, cancer and waiting times for planned care.
In the past seven, the only one to have been met is the A&E target in Scotland - and that was during lockdown in 2020, when the number of visits to A&E plummeted.
All four nations said improving waiting times was a priority and investment was being made.
But King's Fund think tank chief analyst Siva Anandaciva said the findings should "act as a wake-up call".
"These are the key totemic targets," he said. "The length of time they have been missed is incredible."
Patients groups warned the delays were putting patients at risk.
Patients Association chief executive Rachel Power said the analysis showed the NHS was in "permacrisis".
Source: BBC News, 10 January 2024