Epsom and St Helier hospitals’ A&Es were the best in London at seeing and treating the most urgent patients within four hours last month.

NHS standards state that 95 per cent of people who attend an A&E department should be cared for within a maximum of four hours - the emergency access target.

Figures released by NHS England show that during July, Epsom and St Helier’s A&E departments achieved this target for 97.21 per cent of the time when dealing with the most critical cases.

The figures also show that since the start of 2014, the trust has consistently ranked within the top five of all London trusts for overall A&E services.

Jackie Sullivan, the trust’s chief operating officer, said: "These encouraging statistics reinforce the reputation of our hospitals as reliable and dependable emergency services in the community. 

"This is an incredible achievement and is testament to the hard work of our team.

"I would like to take thank all of our staff working in and around A&E for their outstanding performance and dedication to their roles.

"Our number one priority is always ensuring that adequate care is given to our patients.

"Our consistent achievement of meeting the four hour target is vital to making sure that patients are seen in a timely fashion, ensuring that their wellbeing, safety and comfort are never compromised."