A damning new report has exposed a severe healthcare postcode lottery across England, revealing which NHS trusts are failing to meet crucial treatment targets and leaving patients in limbo.
The latest NHS league tables, analysing performance from April 2023 to March 2024, paint a troubling picture of inconsistent care standards nationwide. The data scrutinises performance against key targets including the two-week cancer referral urgency, faster diagnosis standards, and the critical four-hour A&E waiting time target.
The Worst Performers Revealed
At the bottom of the national rankings, several hospital trusts delivered deeply concerning results. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust emerged as one of the poorest performers, meeting just one of its three key targets. Similarly, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust found themselves among the lowest-ranking institutions.
Perhaps most alarmingly, not a single major A&E department managed to achieve the mandated 95% emergency care target within the four-hour window. The national average for this critical metric stood at a dismal 75.4%—the worst performance ever recorded.
A Nationwide Pattern of Decline
The data reveals a healthcare system under unprecedented strain. Only 57% of patients received cancer diagnoses within the targeted 28-day period, falling far short of the 75% goal. Performance against the two-week cancer wait target also dropped significantly to 77.5%, well below the 93% standard.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, acknowledged the challenges: "There is no doubt the NHS has been under significant pressure, with staff continuing to deliver a huge amount for patients in the face of increased demand and record levels of bed occupancy."
Regional Disparities in Care
The league tables highlight dramatic regional variations in healthcare quality. Patients in the East of England received the best overall performance, while those in the Midlands faced the longest average waiting times for emergency care.
This geographical healthcare divide means a patient's address continues to significantly influence the quality and speed of treatment they can expect to receive—a situation that health advocates describe as "unacceptable" in a national health service.
As winter approaches, bringing additional pressures to an already strained system, these findings raise serious questions about the sustainability of current healthcare delivery models and the urgent need for targeted intervention in the worst-performing trusts.
