Home / Health / A&E Waits Hit Record Highs: Over 71,000 Patients Delayed
A&E Waits Hit Record Highs: Over 71,000 Patients Delayed
12 Feb
Summary
- Over 71,000 patients waited more than 12 hours in A&E in January.
- This represents a 40% increase from December, a record high since 2010.
- Reviews reveal patients died, lacked food, and lost dignity in corridors.
The National Health Service in England is facing an unprecedented crisis in its Accident and Emergency departments. In January, the number of patients enduring waits of over 12 hours in A&E surged to a record 71,517, a stark 40% escalation from December's figure of 50,775.
This alarming trend extends to four-hour waiting targets, with 161,141 patients experiencing delays from the decision to admit to actual admission, the second-highest number on record. The national target aims for 78% of patients to be seen within four hours by March 2026, a goal currently unmet as only 72.5% achieved this in January.
Reviews by Healthwatch England have exposed a harrowing reality within A&E corridors. Reports detail patients dying on trolleys, diabetic individuals left without food for hours, and others enduring 24-hour waits in dark, private-less corridors. This lack of dignity and basic care has left many patients feeling stripped of their humanity.
One elderly patient recounted witnessing a death during a 40-hour wait on a corridor trolley, describing the experience as "very scary" and lacking dignity. NHS England has been contacted for comment on these severe issues.
