Nearly two-thirds of people who arrived at accident and emergency at Plymouth Hospitals Trust last month were seen within four hours, new figures show.

The NHS standard is for 95% of patients to be seen within four hours. However, as part of a recovery plan, the health service has an objective for 78% of patients to be seen within this time frame in March 2025.

Recent NHS England figures show there were 14,615 visits to A&E at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in June. Of them, 9,360 were seen within four hours – accounting for 64% of arrivals.

Across England, 75% of patients were seen within four hours, a slight increase from 74% the month before.

Figures also show 38,106 emergency admissions waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments from a decision to admit to actually being admitted – down from 42,555 in May.

The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission also dropped, from 138,770 in May to 128,114 last month.

At University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, 1,148 patients waited longer than four hours, including 487 who were delayed by more than 12 hours.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at the King’s Fund think tank, said: "Prior to winning the general election, the Labour Party pledged to return the NHS to meeting performance standards by the end of this parliament if it was to form the new government.

"NHS performance is currently well below many of the level patients rightly expect and which are set out as rights and pledges in the NHS Constitution."

She said: "The prize of shorter waiting times and better patient care would be a good goal for any government. But it will not be easily won."

It comes as Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced an independent probe into NHS performance.

Writing in The Sun, he said the investigation will be led by former health minister Lord Ara Darzi, and will provide a "full and frank" assessment of the state of the NHS.

About 2.3 million people attended A&E departments across England last month – more than in any other June on record.

The overall number of attendances to A&E at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust in June was a slight drop from the 14,745 visits recorded during May, but 7% more than the 13,694 patients seen in June 2023.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: "Frontline teams are continuing to work exceptionally hard under significant pressure to provide the best care they can for patients, but everyone recognises that access and waiting times are currently far from what the public have a right to expect."

He added everyone in the health services is committed to "build an NHS fit for the future".