Rishi Sunak axes 999 targets and is slammed for putting patients at risk

Rishi Sunak has been accused of putting patients at risk as he waters down ambulance and A&E waiting targets.

The Prime Minister will make the announcement today, amid the worst NHS crisis in its history.

He will set a target of March next year for ambulances to get to sus­­pected heart attack, sepsis and stroke patients within 30 minutes, instead of the current 18-minute target.

These patients waited an average of 93 minutes for paramedics last month. A&E departments will be told that by March 2024, 76% of patients should be seen within four hours.

Hospitals are supposed to see 95% within this timeframe but this standard was last met in July 2015.

Mr Sunak and Health Secretary Steve Barclay will set out the Emergency Care Plan with NHS chief ­executive Amanda Pritchard on today’s visit to the North East.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting hit out at Tory mismanagement and said: “Even if the NHS achieves his targets, patients will be left waiting longer than is safe.”