Despite BBC Question Time overwhelmingly being dominated by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, more questions regarding issues in society sprouted towards the end of the show. In particular, the recent hint that the government might put an end to the four hour waiting A&E target, of which hospitals must aim to ensure 95 per cent of patients are seen within a four hour time limit – though every major A&E unit in England missed the target last November.

Helen Whately attempted to sell the idea of scrapping the waiting time limits, explaining that the government was focusing on reenergising the NHS through finance and expertise.

Yet, as some members of the audience noted, the changes from a Tory government that has been in power for the past 10 years have been few and far between.

Alyn Smith, the SNP MP for Stirling, attempted to draw attention to Scotland’s apparent superior NHS.

Fiona Bruce, however, had other ideas, and reminded Mr Smith that Scotland’s record may not as clean as he was claiming.

He said: “The question is about English A&E figures, and I would say that we’re in charge of the NHS in Scotland.

“Scotland’s A&E has outperformed all countries in the UK in the last four years.”

Ms Bruce interjected here to correct Mr Smith, and said: “Ok, the last time Scottish A&E departments hit the 95 per cent target was in 2017.”

Mr Smith replied: “We have outperformed England, Northern Ireland and Wales which is why I’m worried…”

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The SNP MP didn’t get chance to finish his sentence as Ms Bruce yet again pounced on an opportunity to call-out Mr Smith.

She said: “So not doing brilliantly but perhaps not quite has badly?”

He replied: “There are lots of things we need to do better absolutely.

“But the point I’ve been making is that I don’t trust the Tories with the NHS, and I’m really concerned about where it’s going.”

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This went down well with the audience, with members applauding Mr Smith.

The government has been accused of letting the standards of hospitals and their treatments slip.

Waiting times were initially put under review by Theresa May in 2018.

Yet, many have said changing the waiting time targets won’t help to alleviate the problems that the NHS is currently faced with.

Labour’s shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said changing them “won’t magic away the problems in our overcrowded hospitals, with patients left on trolleys in corridors for hours and hours”.

Questioned by the BBC’s Nicky Campbell, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said there were “big challenges” in the NHS when it came to waiting times, arguing it was as a result of a rise in the number of people being treated in A&E units.

When asked whether the four hour waiting target would stay, Mr Hancock replied: “We will be judged by the right targets. Targets have to be clinically appropriate.”

He said there was a “problem” with the target being “the top way of measuring what’s going on in hospitals”.

He added: ”For example, increasingly people can be treated on the day and able to go home without staying overnight.

“That is much better for the patient, it’s also better for the NHS and yet the way that that’s counted doesn’t work.”

The original review laughed by Mrs May is yet to be completed, but an interim report was produced by NHS England’s national medical director, Professor Steve Powis, in March 2019 – proposing a series of new targets.

Some of these included using the average waiting time as the main measure; recording how long patients wait before being clinically assessed after they arrive; and checking how long the most critically ill patients wait before their treatment is completed.

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