Well under three-quarters of A&E arrivals at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Trust seen within four hours

The NHS standard is for 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours. However, as part of a recovery plan, the health service aims for 78 per cent of patients to be seen within this time frame by March 2025.

Recent NHS England figures show there were 17,076 visits to A&E at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in January. Of them, 11,928 were seen within four hours – accounting for 70 per cent of arrivals.

This means the trust fell below the recovery target and the original standard.

About 73 per cent of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, up from 71 per cent in December.

Figures also show 61,529 emergency admissions waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments from a decision to admit to actually being admitted.

It was a significant jump from 54,207 the month before, and surpassed the previous record high for a calendar month which was 54,573 in December 2022.

The number waiting at least four hours from a decision to admit to admission also increased, standing at 159,582 in January – up from 154,689 in December.

At Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 1,403 patients waited longer than four hours, including 255 who were delayed by more than 12 hours.

Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at the Health Foundation, said: "Today’s figures further highlight the continuing strain on urgent and emergency care services this winter.

"Conditions this winter have been difficult but not exceptionally severe, and the NHS needs to be able to manage expected surges in demand without major impacts on patient care.

"Long waits in A&E departments, delayed ambulance responses and pressures on hospital capacity are all symptoms of an NHS that is running on empty."

He added the long-running lack of investment and service capacity are to blame, and urged the Government to ensure investment and reform are part of the upcoming 10-Year Health Plan and Spending Review.

"Winter pressures are inevitable, an annual NHS crisis is not," he said.

Around 2.2 million people attended A&E departments across England last month.

The overall number of attendances to A&E at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in January was a drop of 4% on the 17,876 visits recorded during December, but in line with the number seen in January 2024.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: "This post pandemic period is potentially the hardest the NHS has ever managed.

"Despite that storm of pressure in January, A&E and ambulance waiting times were improved on both the month and year before, and this year we will continue work to improve patient flow across hospitals throughout the year, to ensure that we’re in a better position for next winter."

He added the public should continue to call 999 for life-threatening emergencies and 111 for other symptoms, and that the NHS is committed to improving patient experience and bringing down waiting times.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: "Annual winter pressures should not automatically lead to an annual winter crises and we will soon publish our plan to improve urgent and emergency care services, so the NHS can be there for everyone when they need it, once again."