Average A&E waiting time in England
NHS England does not publish an average wait in minutes. It publishes how many people were dealt with within four hours, and that is the figure to judge a department by.
60% of 1,475,440 people at 24-hour A&Es in England were seen, treated and admitted or sent home within 4 hours in September 2026. The standard is 95%.
50,582 people waited more than 12 hours for a bed after a decision to admit them.
NHS England figures, . Checked for new figures . About the data.
Shortest waits, September 2026
- Ormskirk District General Hospital 94%
- Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital 91%
- Sheffield Childrens Hospital 90%
- Bristol Royal Hospital For Children 88%
- Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital 86%
- Cheltenham General Hospital 86%
- Royal Manchester Children's Hospital 85%
- Calderdale Royal Hospital 85%
- Huddersfield Royal Hospital 84%
- George Eliot Hospital - Acute Services 83%
Longest waits, September 2026
Departments with at least 2,000 visits in the month; specialist eye and dental units left out. Share seen within 4 hours.
NHS England figures, . Checked for new figures . About the data.
Questions people ask
What is the average A&E waiting time in England?
There is no published average in minutes. The national measure is the four-hour standard: in September 2026, 60% of 1,475,440 people at 24-hour A&Es were seen, treated and admitted or sent home within four hours, against a target of 95%. 50,582 people waited over 12 hours for a bed after a decision to admit.
Which A&E has the shortest waits?
Among departments with at least 2,000 visits in September 2026, Ormskirk District General Hospital had the highest share seen within four hours, 94%. The full ranking is on this page, and every department has its own page with directions and, where the trust publishes it, a live wait.
When is A&E least busy?
Attendances are usually lowest in the early hours and highest in the late afternoon and early evening, with Mondays the busiest weekday. The live figures on this site are kept hour by hour, so a chart of busiest times per hospital will follow once enough weeks have been recorded.