The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, is to scrap the 4 hour A&E waiting target.

He says he will issue guidance shortly to the NHS. Apparently, it is all about delivering better quality.

How will this help us monitor the situation at Blackburn Royal Infirmary which provides blue light A&E for the whole of East Lancashire?

Since November 2007 when A&E at Burnley General Hospital was controversially transferred to Blackburn there have been doubts about whether Blackburn can cope.

It regularly missed the 4 hour wait target. Blackburn's performance was amongst the very worst of the 154 acute trusts in England.

It was precisely this kind of information which fuelled demands for the reinstatement of A&E at Burnley General.

And now it is no longer to be collected.

How convenient.