Emergency Services is a national programme which will reduce waiting times in A&E departments and improve the experience of patients and carers.

The programme will help all A&E departments in England to meet the NHS Plan target of a maximum wait of four hours from arrival to either admission, transfer or discharge.

The aim of the Emergency Services Programme is to:

• Put patients first
• Reduce waits and delays in emergency care
• Improve the experience of patients and carers
• Build on a solid track record of Modernisation Agency improvement work

The aim is for local teams in the NHS to make improvements in their own organisations by looking at how they work, making changes to benefit patients and learning from others.