There were 43,853 visits to A&E at the main hospital group covering Barnet in November reports Clara Margotin, Data Reporter

A hospital entrance sign with the focus on the Accident and Emergency department — About 74% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month – (Credit – Radar)

About three-quarters of patients who arrived at accident and emergency at the Royal Free London last month were seen within four hours, new figures show.

It comes as health experts have warned of growing pressures on hospitals across England, who are dealing with exceptionally high numbers of flu cases.

Meanwhile the NHS is also facing the threat of resident doctors going on strike next week in a dispute with the government over pay and jobs.

The NHS standard is for 95% of patients to be seen within four hours. However, as part of a recovery plan, the health service has extended its objective for 78% of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred within this time frame by March 2026.

Recent NHS England figures show there were 43,853 visits to A&E at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in November. Of them, 33,680 were seen within four hours – accounting for 77% of arrivals.

This means the trust fell slightly below the recovery target and well below the original standard.

About 74% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, broadly in line with October.

Figures also show 50,648 emergency admissions waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments from a decision to admit to actually being admitted – down from 54,314 the month before.

The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission also fell, standing at 133,799 last month, down from 142,734 in October.

At Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, 3,010 patients waited longer than four hours, including 2,065 who were delayed by more than 12 hours.

Francesca Cavallaro, senior analytical manager at the Health Foundation, said: “The latest urgent and emergency care figures for November show the NHS beginning to feel the first signs of winter.

“Flu started earlier than usual this year and admissions are rising at the same pace as last year, but the number of patients in hospital with flu is yet to approach the peaks seen in 2022-23 and 2024-25.

“The NHS could face major pressures if cases continue to climb rapidly in the weeks ahead.”

She added: “These pressures expose the NHS’s fragile balancing act.

“The Government’s recent Budget provided no additional funding to help services maintain essential services and meet stretching performance targets, even as demands continue to rise.

“This leaves the NHS in a precarious financial position, a recipe for worsening patient care and stalled recovery.”

About 2.3 million people attended A&E departments across England last month.

The overall number of attendances to A&E at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in November was a slight drop from the 44,189 visits recorded during October, but 4% more than the 42,164 patients seen by the trust’s two predecessors in November 2024.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, said: “With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.

“The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year.

“Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.

“We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has offered the British Medical Association a last-minute deal, hoping to avoid the five-day strike starting next Wednesday.

He said: “The offer I have made to the BMA would help solve the jobs problem resident doctors are facing, and bring an end to strike action this Christmas, which is the most dangerous time of year.

“I urge resident doctors not to inflict further damage on the NHS, vote for this deal, and call off the Christmas strikes.”

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