The worst and best months to be injured according to A&E waiting times

Medical

It has been revealed that more people attended A&E in March 2026 than in any previous month on record — with the meningitis outbreak driving further demand in recent weeks.

This is on top of the NHS having just come through its busiest winter on record. Between November 2025 and February 2026, A&E departments in England saw more than 9.1 million attendances — the highest winter figure ever — and the first time that attendances have exceeded nine million. January 2026 alone set a record high of 2,320,266 A&E attendances, 4.6% higher than in January 2025.

The picture is one of a health service under extraordinary and growing strain, even as it makes tentative steps toward recovery. 

Thankfully, despite the record-breaking demand, last winter recorded the shortest A&E waiting times in four years, with 73.6% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – the best rate since 2021/22.

Is there a ‘best’ and worst month to be injured?

But are A&E statistics consistent across the year — or does the month you find yourself in a waiting room make a real difference?

The most recent A&E statistics, from March 2026, show: 

• There were 123,870 delays of over four hours from decision-to-admit to admission in March
• Of those, 46,665 took more than 12 hours 
• Emergency admissions reached 553,892 — among the highest of the 13-month period analysed 
• Total A&E attendances hit 2,432,253, the highest single month in the dataset.

So, if you end up in A&E over the next year, the odds of a wait vary significantly depending on when you arrive. To uncover the best and worst months for injuries, we spoke to Newcastle medical negligence solicitors, Beecham Peacock, who analysed the latest NHS data.*

NHS A&E performance, March 2025 – March 2026

Using the data collated above, Vicki Wanless, medical negligence solicitor at Beecham Peacock has worked out the best and worst months to find yourself in A&E. This was calculated by considering the following factors, while also considering the number of emergency admissions as an indicator of severity.

• The percentage of patients seen within four hours (higher equals better).
• The percentage of patients facing 12-plus hour delays (lower equals better).
• Total attendance (lower equals better).

The worst months to be injured

If you’re unfortunate enough to find yourself taking a trip to A&E, these are the months when you’re most likely to bump into delays.

December

December has long been a pressure point for the NHS, and last year was no different. Only 73.8% of attendees were seen within the four-hour target, and 5.92% faced delays of more than four hours — above the 13-month average of 5.63%. 2.18% waited over 12 hours, also above average.

With the Christmas season bringing increased accidents, poor weather raising the risk of slips, trips and falls, darker nights affecting awareness and flu season in full swing, it’s little surprise that delays become far more likely during December. Holiday demand and higher injury rates converge to make this one of the NHS’s most challenging months.

October

October sees a marked rise in delays as the NHS begins to feel the strain of incoming winter demand. Just 74.1% of patients were seen within four hours, and 5.95% faced four-plus hour delays – the second highest of any month. Some 2.27% waited over 12 hours, the third-worst wait in the period.

With total attendance reaching 2,397,701 — the third highest of any month — and the second-highest number of emergency admissions at 554,193, the system is clearly beginning to buckle as we head deeper into autumn. October is often the start of a difficult season for A&E departments, and the data bears that out.

January

January ranks as the worst month to find yourself in A&E — and the data makes that very clear. Just 72.5% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, the lowest of any month in the dataset. A staggering 6.94% faced delays of more than four hours, with 3.08% waiting for over 12 hours — both the worst figures recorded across the entire 13-month period.

It’s the peak of winter pressure, with high levels of illness and injury, and emergency services stretched to their limits. This is unsurprising, as we often see an increase in medical negligence claim enquiries in the weeks and months that follow, mainly due to accidents sustained in January. It’s simple, really — strained services put more pressure on staff, increasing the likelihood of human error.

The best months to be injured

Nobody plans a trip to A&E — but if the data is any guide, timing can make a real difference to the experience you have when you get there.

September

September is the third-best month to find yourself in A&E, sitting close to the 13-month averages across all key metrics, but coming in ahead of them where it counts. 75.1% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, and 12-plus hour delays stood at just 1.94% — below the average of 2.04%.

With overall attendance at 2,310,222, the NHS is not under the same level of strain as it faces during the winter months, making September a relatively manageable time for emergency departments.

June

June is the second-best month to find yourself needing A&E care. While it was fairly average overall, it genuinely shone when it came to waiting times. Just 5.03% of patients faced delays of more than four hours, compared to the 13-month average of 5.63%, and only 1.64% waited over 12 hours, against an average of 2.04%.

Attendance levels of 2,351,581 are moderate, and with summer weather reducing the kind of cold-weather injuries and respiratory illnesses that pile pressure on A&E during autumn and winter, June represents one of the more stable months for emergency care.

August

Over the last year, August was the ‘best’ month to find yourself in A&E — by a significant margin. 75.9% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, above the 13-month average of 74.9%, and just 1.58% waited over 12 hours — the lowest proportion of any month in the dataset.

Although February technically has a lower overall attendance, August’s attendance is proportionally lower on a day-to-day basis, as it’s a much longer month. Overall, there’s less pressure on the system and faster throughput for those who need care when compared to other months. If you’re going to find yourself in A&E, August is statistically your best chance of a swift and efficient experience.

*All data has been collected from statistical research supplied by NHS England’s A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2024-25 and A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2025-26.