Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the NHS Standard Contract 2022/23, when the data relating to the 12 hour standard for maximum waits from the time of arrival in Emergency Departments will be published.

NHS England and NHS Improvement publish the number of patients spending more than 12 hours in accident and emergency (A&E) from the time of arrival in the annual summary report of hospital accident and emergency activity. In 2020/21, 302,784 patients spent over 12 hours in A&E from arrival.

The NHS Standard Contract for 2022/23 includes a 12-hour standard from time of arrival as a national quality indicator. NHS England is currently considering when data against this standard can be published and expects to confirm in due course.