HOSPITAL waiting times at A&E sites in Worcestershire have missed Government targets yet again - with no progress made in an entire year.

Nearly two in 10 patients are not being seen, admitted, treated or discharged within four hours, with anxious health chiefs blaming it on "higher demand".

In June, 15 per cent of people visiting an A&E in the county were left for more than four hours, despite national guidelines demanding a target of dealing with 95 per cent of patients.

The figure, from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, comes amid a growing crisis in which almost all of England's major hospitals are failing to hit the benchmark.

The trust runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, the Alex in Redditch and Kidderminster Hospital.

In May, 22 per cent of A&E patients were not seen, treated, admitted or discharged within four hours - the worst month of the entire year - while in June it was 20 per cent.

July's figure of 15 per cent is exactly the same as one year ago and has actually gone backwards compared to last winter, when at one point it fell to just 12 per cent of people kept waiting.

In Worcestershire health chiefs say they are trying to beef up staffing levels and progress with opening up a larger dedicated zone over coming weeks for patients who "self-present".

A spokesman for the acute trust said: "We aim to see and treat all our patients as quickly as possible. Like many hospitals we're experiencing higher demand for our services, the number of ambulances and people attending our hospitals is increasing year-on-year.

"In July we were able to see, treat and either admit or discharge over 85 per cent of patients from A&E within four hours.

"Our teams are working extremely hard to ensure we improve, as we recognise that anytime waiting can be very distressing for patients."

Nationally, the target of 95 per cent has not been hit by an A&E at any major hospital since July 2013, with most trusts managing around 90 per cent.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has warned a gap between supply and demand for emergency doctors is leading to a "real crisis".

Ministers are coming under increasing pressure to intervene with a new cash injection for some of the worst-performing areas.

Dr Mark Porter, from the British Medical Association, said: "These figures are the latest in a spate of reports showing our health service is reaching crisis point from a combination of increasing demand and inadequate resources.

"Huge efforts locally by doctors and other team members are important, but are hampered because the Government does not match the rising demand with sufficient investment."