Emergency service is closer to four hour target but still lacks consultants

NHS emergency departments are much closer to meeting the government's target of patients spending no more than four hours in the departments than they were two years ago, according to a report by the National Audit Office, the spending watchdog that reports to parliament. But there is still room for improvement, says the head of the audit office, John Bourn.

“There is scope in those trusts which are behind the best for further reductions in the time patients spend in A&E [accident and emergency],” he said.

The continuing shortage of appropriately trained …