Accident and emergency performance has again improved on the previous week’s position, the latest data shows.
The most recent NHS England data shows that in the four week period week ending 26 May, 104 trust hit the government’s four-hour waiting target, compared to 95 out of 143 the previous week.
The improvment in the latest week’s figures brings national performance close to the same period last year when 113 trusts hit the target.
HSJ’s A&E Performance Tracker is based on average performance across the most recent four-week period for each of the 143 trusts with a type-one A&E, based on weekly performance data from NHS England.
Based on weekly performance, Medway Foundation Trust saw an improvement of five percentage points in the week to 26 May, while Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust’s performance fell by the same amount.
Performance also declined week-on-week at Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals Trust.
The Commons health committee was this morning holding its second evidence session on A&E performance.
The news also comes as Monitor’s quarterly report for January to March 2013 showed more than half of foundation trusts with A&E departments falling the four-hour target - something HSJ reported at the start of May.
The government’s target is for 95 per cent of patients who attend A&E to be seen, admitted or discharged within four hours.
The latest NHS England data also shows there were no “trolley waits” in the English NHS in the week to 26 May. These occur when a decision to admit is made but the patient waits more than 12 hours to be admitted.
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