If the government decides to abolish targets for A&E waiting times, can the medical profession get together with patients’ associations and find a way to agree their own targets and then collate and publish the data themselves? (Doctors lead outcry at plan to scrap A&E target, 16 January). Fiona CarnieBath• Of course, A&E waiting targets are no help in running the front end of hospitals. Matt Hancock feels that NHS A&E targets are no longer “clinically appropriate”, so wants to scrap them. If the results on meeting targets are embarrassing, the solution is not to scrap publication but take positive action to improve them.

Source: The Guardian January 19, 2020 17:03 UTC