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| A&E waiting times in England improve | A&E waiting times in England improve |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Waiting times in A&E units in England have improved to their best level since November - but the target is still being missed, figures show. | Waiting times in A&E units in England have improved to their best level since November - but the target is still being missed, figures show. |
| A total of 92.4% of patients were seen in four hours in the seven days up until Sunday. | A total of 92.4% of patients were seen in four hours in the seven days up until Sunday. |
| The target is 95% and has been missed on a weekly basis since the start of October. | The target is 95% and has been missed on a weekly basis since the start of October. |
| But until this latest week performance had dropped to its lowest levels since 2010. That record low is now over. | But until this latest week performance had dropped to its lowest levels since 2010. That record low is now over. |
| In the first week of January, performance was lower than 87% - the worst it has been since weekly records began in 2010. | |
| During the latest week, the NHS seems to have been helped because the number of attendances has fallen. | |
| It has been suggested that people have heeded warnings to only visit hospitals in emergencies after weeks of bad headlines. | |
| 'Huge pressures' | 'Huge pressures' |
| But Dame Barbara Hakin, of NHS England, said that while demands had "eased" the NHS was still facing "huge pressures on its frontline services". | |
| She added: "For the second successive week there has been an improvement in A&E performance. It is encouraging. | She added: "For the second successive week there has been an improvement in A&E performance. It is encouraging. |
| "But I want to pay tribute to out staff for the excellent job they are doing in continuing to provide an incredibly robust response." | "But I want to pay tribute to out staff for the excellent job they are doing in continuing to provide an incredibly robust response." |
| Nonetheless, only 29 of the 140 major hospital trusts - the overall figures include walk-in centres and minor injury units - met the target. | Nonetheless, only 29 of the 140 major hospital trusts - the overall figures include walk-in centres and minor injury units - met the target. |
| Some 110 met it with not data provided for one site, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. | |
| There was also a rise in delayed discharges - this is where a hospital is unable to release a patient despite their treatment being completed because a lack of support available in the community. | There was also a rise in delayed discharges - this is where a hospital is unable to release a patient despite their treatment being completed because a lack of support available in the community. |
| The problem has been highlighted as a key reason for hospitals struggling in the New Year as the delays mean the flow of patients through the hospital system slows. | The problem has been highlighted as a key reason for hospitals struggling in the New Year as the delays mean the flow of patients through the hospital system slows. |