NHS Leaders Urged to Prioritize Patient Safety Over A&E Targets Amid Winter Pressures
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has instructed NHS leaders in England to focus on patient safety instead of adhering strictly to the four-hour A&E target this winter. At a meeting with hospital executives, Streeting emphasized the need to prioritize patients based on clinical need, given that hospitals are facing significant pressures, with 95% of beds occupied and long ambulance wait times. While the A&E target remains, reassurance was given that performance dips would not result in penalties for the NHS.