The Countess of Chester is among 30 hospitals struggling to meet targets requiring 95% of patients to be treated within four hours.

The Chester hospital was 15th in the list of the worst A&E units in the country whoses bosses have been told by NHS chiefs to improve their waiting times, according to our sister website The Mirror.

NHS Improvement head Jim Mackey – responsible for raising health service standards – called chief executives from the poorest performers to a crisis meeting.

He told bosses they need to achieve targets of 85% by the second quarter of 2016 and 95% by the end of 2017.

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And Mr Mackey warned special measures might be put in place if the trusts failed to improve.

Just 19 of 136 acute trusts met the 95% target in February, the worst figures since 2004.

An NHS Improvement spokesman said: “We have to raise the level of those at the bottom.”

Other North West hospitals among the 30 were Aintree University Hospital, University Hospital of South Manchester, Stockport Foundation Trust, Warrington and Halton.

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In February, bosses at the Countess of Chester Hospital acknowledged its services have been under pressure this winter in common with facilities across the region.

Dr Nick Laundy, emergency department consultant and clinical lead for the service at the Countess, said last month: “The position here at The Countess remains very much in keeping with the rest of the region. NHS hospital services are under pressure and we are prioritising queuing ambulances and those patients most in need of clinical treatment.

“We are doing everything we can to maintain morale and look after the wellbeing of staff working in our busiest areas. The front-line leadership and team work demonstrated at times like this is truly remarkable, and for this we are grateful.

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“We recognise that some patients are experiencing lengthy waits, and we are asking people to bear with us. Their safety remains of paramount importance. We are keeping a close eye on patient feedback and have received some truly heartfelt thanks that has kept us all motivated during the last few weeks.”