NHS moves to scrap waiting time target for A&E patients

HOSPITALS will no longer have to treat A&E patients in less than four hours under new plans to scrap the target set by New Labour.

NHS England is moving to scrap the scheme, which has been in place for 15 years, because health chiefs are concerned that the target encourages hospitals to game the system by prioritising those who have been waiting close to four hours, rather than those in the greatest need of care.

Replacement proposals focusing on faster identification of the sickest patients have been drawn up, according to The Times. One option is an average wait time, another is a measure of the total time patients spend in casualty. A decision on which to test is imminent.

Last month, Lord Prior of Brampton, the chairman of NHS England, said the targets had “had their day” and encouraged a “top-down hierarchical control of the NHS”, which had been “deeply damaging to the culture”. Once patients were close to hitting the four-hour waiting time, staff started “running around like headless chickens to get them out”, only to stop caring once the target was missed, he said.

A final decision on the removal of waiting targets will depend on the results of an alternative pilot scheme, but sources told the paper that Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, was keen to drive through a change over the coming year.

However, senior figures have raised concerns that losing the targets could be a “politically driven” move that would make it easier for bosses to hide behind poor performance.

Stephen Powis, NHS England’s medical director, said: “I have been working with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Healthwatch England and many others on what matters most to patients, on the clinical issues with the current target regime, and what NHS staff believe will help them provide the best quality care... Any recommended changes will be carefully field tested.”