How do A&E wait times in France compare to the UK?

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Typical British hospital and GP waiting room sign seen within a patient's medical waiting area. The corridors lead to various medical units.

Figures from NHS England, highlighted in an analysis report by the Nuffield Trust, show that (as of December 2024) the country has slightly longer waiting times than France.

Patients who required admission to UK hospital: Median wait was five hours, 49 minutes. This is 29 minutes longer than France’s five hours and 20 minutes (for people admitted to hospital).
Patients who were not admitted: Median waiting time was two hours, 42 minutes. This is 12 minutes longer than the French figure of two hours 30 minutes.

The Nuffield Trust states: “Overall, there has been a year-on-year decrease in the proportion of patients attending major A&E departments that are admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours.”

NHS England aims to admit, transfer, or discharge 95% of patients in A&E within four hours (as stated in the Handbook to the NHS Constitution).

How do wait times in France (and UK) compare to the US?

Figures from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that the median emergency room visit time (before leaving or being admitted) in 2024 was two hours and 42 minutes.

The figures do not specify if this applies to admitted or non-admitted patients; it is likely to be an average of both.

However, the wait times vary considerably by state, with waits varying from one hour 50 minutes, to five hours 14 minutes.

The longest time was found in Washington DC (5 hours 14 minutes), while the lowest was North Dakota (1 hour, 50 minutes).