More than a quarter of patients who attend emergency departments (A&E) in England say that they have to wait longer than the government’s four hour limit, and 14% are receiving no pain relief, according to the Healthcare Commission’s annual survey.

The survey, conducted last year in 151 trusts and involving nearly 50 000 people, shows that despite more pressure on emergency services most patients (88%) are satisfied with their care.

But it also shows that more people are waiting longer to be seen. Fewer patients were seen by a doctor or nurse within 15 minutes (40%) or examined within an hour (73%) than in the commission’s surveys …