FOUR out of 10 nurses believe their colleagues are “fiddling figures” to meet Government waiting times targets, a new poll suggests.

A survey of 1,000 nurses found one in 10 working in hospitals have been personally asked to take part in “gaming” to meet deadlines, such as the four-hour target for A&E.

A report out last week from The NHS Information Centre found A&E patients across England are being admitted to hospital in order to meet this deadline.

Data showed 66% of people are admitted to a ward in the 10 minutes before the four hours is up, compared with 21% overall.

The latest survey, from the Nursing Times, found examples of discharge times being changed to give the appearance patients are being treated within the target.

One nurse said: “I have witnessed other colleagues altering times of patient leaving A&E department so they do not breach, but I will not take part in this myself.”

Other examples include patients being temporarily moved from A&E to observation areas, corridors and in one case a theatre recovery ward.