The Gera A&E Waiting Times Index

Gera A&E Waiting Times Index: FAQs

What is the Gera A&E Waiting Times Index?

The Gera A&E Waiting Times Index (GAWTI) is a single 0–100 score for how long patients wait in a major (Type 1) A&E department. Higher means longer waits. For March 2026 the national index is 56.2 / 100. It is computed transparently from real NHS England A&E figures — the 4-hour breach rate and 12-hour trolley waits — with the full formula published on the methodology page.

How is the index calculated?

It blends two official NHS A&E accountability metrics. The breach component scores the share of major (Type 1) attendances waiting over 4 hours against a 50% reference ceiling (weighted 60%). The trolley component scores 12-hour decision-to-admit waits per 1,000 attendances against a ceiling of 100 per 1,000 (weighted 40%). GAWTI = 0.6 × breach + 0.4 × trolley, rounded to one decimal place. Every input is the real published NHS number; only the scaling and weighting are Gera's, and both are fully disclosed.

What does the index say right now?

For March 2026, the national Gera A&E Waiting Times Index is 56.2 / 100. 36.1% of the 1,451,010 major (Type 1) A&E attendances waited more than 4 hours, and 46,665 patients waited 12+ hours from a decision to admit — 32.2 per 1,000 attendances.

How is this different from the Gera A&E Pressure Index?

The Gera A&E Pressure Index (on the A&E performance pages) multiplies the breach rate by attendance volume, so it ranks the biggest, busiest failing hospitals to the top — it measures the SCALE of the problem. The Waiting Times Index is deliberately volume-independent: it measures the wait an individual patient experiences, so a small hospital with dreadful waits scores as badly as a large one. The two answer different questions.

Which A&E has the longest waits?

Of the 118 named Type-1 A&E providers, The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust scores highest (longest waits) on the Gera A&E Waiting Times Index at 100 / 100 (45.1% seen within 4 hours, 102.5 12-hour trolley waits per 1,000 attendances), while Sheffield Children'S NHS Foundation Trust scores lowest at 2.6 / 100 (97.8% within 4 hours).

Which part of England has the longest A&E waits?

Across the 7 NHS England regions, North West scores highest (longest waits) on the index at 66.5 / 100 (61.4% of major attendances within 4 hours), and North East And Yorkshire scores lowest at 46.6 / 100 (66.0% within 4 hours).

Is a higher score good or bad?

Higher is worse: a higher Gera A&E Waiting Times Index means longer waits (more 4-hour breaches and more 12-hour trolley waits). A score near 0 would mean almost everyone is seen within 4 hours with virtually no 12-hour waits. This is the opposite direction to the Gera NHS Waiting Times Index for elective (RTT) care, where higher is better.

How often is the index updated?

NHS England publishes A&E attendance and 4-hour performance data monthly. Gera recomputes the index on each release. The figures on this page are for March 2026 and were last recomputed on 3 July 2026.

What does the index NOT show?

The index covers major (Type 1) A&E waits in England only. It does not cover minor-injury or urgent-treatment units on their own, ambulance handover delays, or your personal wait on any given day. The 4-hour and 12-hour benchmarks are accountability standards, not clinical urgency thresholds — a clinically urgent patient is prioritised regardless of the list. This page is information, not medical advice.

Should I still go to A&E if waits are long?

Yes — for a serious or life-threatening emergency always go to A&E or call 999; long average waits do not change that. For a non-emergency, many people use NHS 111, a pharmacy, their GP, or a private online consultation for advice, a prescription or a referral. GeraClinic connects patients with UK-registered doctors by video; it is a private telemedicine service and is not part of, or affiliated with, the NHS.