Ambulance response times have also increased over the past month (Photo: PA)

One in 10 people entering an emergency room in England had to wait more than half a day to be seen, new figures show.

The new data shows that 10.6% of people presenting to major emergency departments in England have to wait more than 12 hours to be admitted, transferred or discharged.

That equates to 125,505 people, according to figures released by NHS England, which are released as part of the Emergency and Emergency Recovery Plan.

So far, only figures are available on the number of people who wait more than 12 hours in the emergency department from a decision about admission to the actual admission.

That number was 39,671 in March, up 13% from 34,976 in February, but below the December 2022 record of 54,532.

And the number of people waiting at least four hours to get in is up 14% in a month, from 126,948 in February to 144,292 in March.

The NHS waiting list of people waiting to start hospital treatment is the worst ever, although the government plans to clear the backlog – but the number of people waiting longer than a year and a half is falling.

At the end of February, 7.22 million people were waiting for hospital treatment – a slight increase from 7.21 million in January and the highest number since records began in 2007.

Strike action probably influenced the numbers (Photo: PA)

File photo dated 10/03/14 of an NHS hospital ward as delayed redundancies across the NHS have cost taxpayers £293 million since June 2021, according to Scottish Labour's analysis. PA photo. Date of issue: Sunday, March 19, 2023. From June 2021 to January this year, more than a million bed days were lost because people were in hospital longer than necessary, according to the party. See PA story SCOTLAND DelayedDischarge. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

One in 10 people wait more than 12 hours in the emergency room before being admitted, transferred or discharged (Photo: PA)

However, the number of people waiting longer than 18 months for treatment has fallen by 35%, demonstrating progress being made in improving the situation for those with the longest waiting times.

Ambulance response times have also increased, including for life-threatening illnesses and injuries, but remain below record levels.

The latest figures show that the average response time of ambulances to the most urgent incidents in March was eight minutes and 49 seconds – compared to eight minutes and 30 seconds in February and above the target time of seven minutes.

It is therefore not surprising that public satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to an all-time low.

File photo dated 16/03/2023 of ambulances outside St George's Hospital in London. A £1.2bn deal between two data management and software companies could skyrocket costs for the NHS by reducing competition, a regulator has determined. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave UnitedHealth and Emis five days to come up with a plan to address some of their concerns — otherwise the regulator risked blocking the deal. UnitedHealth announced its plan to acquire Emis last June. The deal would combine its Optum subsidiary with Emis in the UK. Issue date: Friday, March 17, 2023. PA photo. See CITY Health PA story. Photo credit should read: Toby Melville/PA Wire

Ambulance waiting times are currently below record levels (Photo: PA)

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director for England, said: “The past few months have taken a toll on the NHS as a record number of patients sought treatment on top of the highly disruptive strikes.

“Today’s data shows that demand for services is not slowing, with emergency department visits and calls in March at their highest level so far this year – even higher than in a very busy January.

But amid demand and labor disputes, staff have made progress on key NHS priorities, with the number of people waiting longest for elective care falling further, while the NHS meets the faster diagnosis standard for cancer for the first time ever – with more patients receive a definitive diagnosis within 28 days or everything is certain.

“While there are no service delays, it remains important that the public continues to seek care when needed, using online 999 and 111 in emergencies and leveraging the expertise of pharmacies, GPs and community services for less urgent matters .’

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