The number of people who waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England increased by nearly 25% in January compared to the month before, the latest NHS figures show.

In January, 54,308 people waited more than 12 hours from a decision to admit to actually being admitted – the second highest figure on record.

It also marks an increase of just over 23% compared to the figure for December 2023 – when 44,045 people waited more than 12 hours.

NHS England has said the figures come after A&E and ambulance services experienced their busiest ever January – with 2.23 million people visiting an accident and emergency department.

The number who waited at least four hours in A&E from the decision to admit to admission has risen by 7%, from 148,282 in December to 158,721 last month – again, the second highest figure on record.

Some 70.3% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, up from 69.4% in December.

The figure hit a record low of 65.2% in December 2022.

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The NHS recovery plan sets a target of March 2024 for 76% of patients attending A&E to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

Meanwhile, the number of people who waited more than 18 months to start routine hospital treatment rose from 11,168 in November 2023 to 13,164 in December, the NHS England figures shows.

The government and NHS England had set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than 18 months by April 2023, excluding exceptionally complex cases or patients who choose to wait longer.

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