A&E target set to be raised, despite NHS missing lower bar

NHS England and government are set to raise their target for four-hour A&E performance, despite most hospitals failing to meet the current ask.

HSJ understands officials are likely to use 2024-25 planning guidance to raise the “interim” target for four-hour performance from the 76% which trusts were asked to hit in 2023-24.

A new objective of 80% by March 2025 has been discussed, several sources said, but is not confirmed.

The 76% target has not been met during any month of 2023-24 so far, and most acute trusts are consistently falling well short of it.

Well-placed sources told HSJ  the target was likely to be increased despite “some doubts” among senior NHSE officials. One senior NHSE source said: “The target should be increasing incrementally as overall NHS A&E performance improves, [but] it hasn’t really improved this year.”

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Source: HSJ, 5 January 2024