NHS 'misses A&E waiting time target' 4 June 2013 Last updated at 02:30 By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News The NHS in England missed its A&E waiting time target in the first three months of the year, researchers say. A total of 313,000 patients waited more than four hours, up 39% on the similar period in 2012, the King's Fund said after analysing official statistics. That represented 5.9% of patients when the NHS is allowed a leeway of 5%. A&E waits are now at their worst level for nine years, but the government said extra money was being made available to help the worst-hit hospitals. However, evidence is also emerging that hospital performance in areas such as infection control and cancer care could be deteriorating. The news points to what many experts have been warning about. Last month both doctors and managers claimed the system was heading for a crisis as hospitals were struggling to cope with rising demand amid pressures on funding and staffing levels. Car parks There have been reports of temporary waiting areas being set up in car parks and store rooms to help some units manage demand. The King's Fund used official government statistics to get the full picture for January, February and March - the final quarter of the year 2012-13. Its analysis showed 5.9% of patients had waited longer than four hours, although the figures since then show improvement, the think tank said. Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that the problem will get worse before it gets better End Quote Dr Mark Porter British Medical Association In a review it published earlier this year, it found that from October to December 2012 more than 232,000 A&E patients had waited more than four hours. That was a rise of 21% compared with the similar period in 2011 but, at 4.3% of patients, still within the government's target. A&E units have to see only 95% of patients within four hours, to reflect the fact that some flexibility is needed to allow doctors to prioritise the patients with the greatest need. Meanwhile, a separate analysis by Monitor, which regulates the elite foundation trusts accounting for two-thirds of NHS services, found evidence that performance in areas such as cancer care, non-emergency operations and infection control could be deteriorating because of the growing pressures. Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "This is no surprise - patients are presenting at emergency departments in increasing numbers because there is nowhere else they can go. Patients arriving at the 'front door' of the hospital have an impact on acute services throughout the hospital, and we need to redesign emergency care systems around the patient, while making sure that clinicians' workloads and working practices are safe and sustainable. Disastrous legacy British Medical Association chairman Dr Mark Porter added: "Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that the problem will get worse before it gets better." A spokesman for Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said plans were in place to deal with the pressures with extra money being made available to help the worst-hit hospitals cope. He said the problems were part of a "disastrous" legacy from Labour. But shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "The crisis in A&E proves that you can't trust David Cameron with the NHS."