NHS England’s incentives scheme aimed at improving A&E performance has missed the mark, though the slight reductions in waiting times are welcome.

That’s the response from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) to new data released today (16 April) showcasing the performance of A&E departments.

The stats cover March 2026 – the month for which an NHSE incentive scheme aimed at reducing four- and 12-hour patient waits from time of arrival was in place.

Trusts received a share of £80m if their major Emergency Department (ED) saw 90% of patients admitted, discharged or transferred from A&E within 4 hours, and 12-hour performance under 5%. The most improved trusts on 4-hour performance, with fewer 12-hour attendances, could also be eligible for a share of the funds.

In March, the stats showed, the number of patients waiting 12 or more hours before being discharged, admitted or transferred fell slightly compared to the same month in 2025.

A total of 64.1% of patients attending a major (type-1) Emergency Department (ED) in England, or 77.1% for all EDs, waited four or fewer hours. This is the highest proportion of patients meeting the four-hour standard since summer 2021.

Responding to the data, Dr James Gagg, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: “We, and the Emergency Medicine clinicians we represent, will of course, welcome these modest improvements to waiting times in our EDs which our members have worked tirelessly to achieve.

“But even with NHSE’s incentives scheme in place, its unambitious England-wide 78% four-hour performance was out of reach.

“Meanwhile, almost one in 10 of our patients are still experiencing unacceptable 12-hour waits in EDs. That’s more than 135,000 people in a single month.

“These stays are uncomfortable and undignified. And worse still, they’re dangerous.

“We know that there is a strong link between long waits, particularly for patients requiring a hospital bed, and harm or mortality.

“These schemes often paper over the cracks and fail to tackle the root causes of these waits, which are that we cannot move people who need inpatient care out of our departments and into beds.”

A similar incentives scheme was put into place in March 2025. Four- and 12-hour performance improved for that month, before dipping again the following month, despite attendances being lower.

Dr Gagg continued: “It’s certainly no time for celebrations just yet.

“NHSE and the government must ensure these improvements are sustained throughout the year, not just achieved in a single month where they throw extra money at the problem.

“What we need to see is a long-term plan to bring down bed occupancy and speed up discharges at the ‘back door’ of the hospital.”

Today’s stats also showed:

46,665 patients waited 12 or more hours to be admitted from an ED into a bed, after a decision to admit was made

Bed occupancy was higher than March last year, at 93.7%

A daily average of 13,554 beds were occupied by patients medically fit to be discharged, representing just a 27-bed reduction compared to last year