Jeremy Hunt rows back on hints to ditch four-hour A&E target but says it should not be ‘followed slavishly’
The Health Secretary said that the suggestion that the Government would downgrade the target was "totally spurious" and that the target was "one of the best things the NHS does"
JEREMY Hunt has said that the Government will NOT be changing the four-hour target to see all patients in Accident and Emergency units to only cover those who need urgent care.
The Health Secretary told MPs today that NHS workers would stick to the target, but that they should not be "followed slavishly" if it damaged patients' care.
Mr Hunt said during an Opposition Day debate today that he supported the four-hour target, to see 95% of patients within the time frame.
He said that the idea that the Government would downgrade the target was a "totally spurious suggestion" and that the target was "one of the best things the NHS does".
He hit back at claims he was going to drop the four-hour target, and change it to only cover people who needed urgent care: "I did not say that, I didn't say it because we are not going to do it."
The Health Secretary argued that in the past there had been professionals who were "hitting the target but missing the point" and were cutting corners to avoid being fired for missing targets.
He went on: "We need to find different ways to offer treatment to people who need to be in A&E.
"This is hardly rocket science. People who can relieve pressure on A&Es... should do so. Whilst we retain targets, we will not allow them to be followed slavishly in a way that damages patients' care."
Mr Hunt said that it was "totally unacceptable for anyone to wait over 35 hours on a trolley" but that "winter is always a challenging period."
He refused to say that the NHS was going through a particularly rough time, despite reports of chronic bed shortages, agonising waits and warnings from numerous health professionals of a crisis looming.
"On the Tuesday after Christmas, the NHS had its busiest every day," Mr Hunt said, adding that the service had made record numbers of preparations for this winter.
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary said the "desperate stories" that had been heard in recent says were "not the words of politicians but the honest, heartfelt testimonies of doctors on the frontlines... who just want to do the best for their patients."
Jeremy Corbyn said during PMQs today that the Prime Minister was "in denial" over the true extent of the problems in hospitals.
The Prime Minister was forced to admit that there were “pressures” on the NHS and a “small number” of unacceptable incidents had happened over the winter period.
But she blasted Mr Corbyn for using the Red Cross’ description of the situation as a “humanitarian crisis”.
The news comes as the head of the NHS, Simon Stevens, faced a grilling from MPs this afternoon after No 10 blamed him for the crisis.
Relations between the Mr Stevens and Downing Street have soured after they privately blasted him for not being enthusiastic and responsive enough.