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Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Long waits in A&E units in England have started rising "steeply", hitting their highest level for seven years, an analysis suggests.
The King's Fund report showed 4.2% of patients waited longer than four hours from January to March, compared with 3.4% in the same period last year.
It means long A&E waits are at their highest level since 2004.
The group said it was a sign hospitals were struggling, but ministers said the waits were within acceptable levels.
The health service is allowed to let up to 5% of the 21m patients who visit A&E units each year wait longer than four hours.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18266775
The King's Fund report showed 4.2% of patients waited longer than four hours from January to March, compared with 3.4% in the same period last year.
It means long A&E waits are at their highest level since 2004.
The group said it was a sign hospitals were struggling, but ministers said the waits were within acceptable levels.
The health service is allowed to let up to 5% of the 21m patients who visit A&E units each year wait longer than four hours.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18266775