Elderly patients are significantly more likely to endure waits of 12 hours or more in A&E corridors, according to new data. Analysis by the Nuffield Trust think tank reveals that 43% of people aged over 80 faced a wait exceeding 12 hours between arrival and admission to a ward in 2025, compared to just 19% of those aged 21 to 30.
Experts condemn 'absolutely shocking' figures
Sarah Scobie, Nuffield Trust research director, said: "It's absolutely shocking that two fifths of the most elderly patients going into A&E are stuck waiting for over 12 hours, often in unsafe conditions, when they are already extremely unwell and vulnerable." She added that long A&E waits have caused thousands of avoidable deaths in recent years, describing each case as "a person going through a frightening and traumatic experience."
Corridor care and its impact
Health chiefs had previously assumed frail adults spend longer in A&E because they are more likely to be admitted, but the analysis shows they still wait longest for a bed. Elderly patients often have multiple complex conditions, making diagnosis more time-consuming. Many face gruelling delays in waiting rooms or on trolleys in corridors, where they cannot access decent food or sleep. The government has begun publishing figures on such corridor care waits.
Dr Ian Higginson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: "Long stays are a blight on the emergency care system and we know that each year they result in the loss of thousands of lives in England alone." He criticised consecutive governments' approaches as falling short.
What is corridor care?
A patient is considered to receive corridor care if their treatment does not take place in a clinically appropriate setting, which includes privacy, access to food and water, toilets, and the ability to turn off lights and minimise noise for sleep. In May, nearly 3,000 patients every day were cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas in England.
Dr Den Langhor, emergency medicine lead at the British Medical Association, said he often finishes shifts with patients still in corridors, and in worst cases they may spend days waiting for ward beds. He acknowledged progress in defining and publishing corridor care data but warned hospitals might "game the data" and noted the data does not distinguish between short and long corridor care episodes.
Government response and targets
A&E waiting time standards have not been met since July 2015. Latest figures show 75.4% of patients in England were seen within four hours in June, an improving trend. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "Even under record pressure, the incredible dedication of NHS staff meant that three-quarters of patients were seen in A&E within four hours in the month of June. But we know we need to go further."
The spokesman highlighted a £450 million investment this year through the urgent and emergency care plan to expand bed capacity, deliver more care outside hospitals, and cut A&E waits. He also linked improvement to social care reform, which the Prime Minister has pledged to address.
