A record 420,000 patients had to wait more than 12 hours in A&E in England last year, according to analysis of NHS England figures. The number represents a 20% increase on 2022, with one in 15 patients experiencing so-called 'trolley waits' after a decision to admit them to hospital from the emergency department.
The Liberal Democrats, who compiled the analysis, said the figure was the highest since records began in 2011, equating to an average of 1,150 patients per day. Party leader Ed Davey criticised the 'appalling delays' and accused the Conservative government of 'ignoring the suffering of patients and driving our health service into the ground'.
The party also highlighted a postcode lottery, noting that at some trusts, such as North Middlesex University Hospital, almost half of patients waited more than 12 hours. Significant A&E delays have been linked to excess deaths and increased harm to patients, as their condition can deteriorate before they are admitted or given a bed on a ward.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the urgent and emergency care recovery plan was already cutting A&E waits and ambulance response times compared with the previous year, but acknowledged there was more to do. They added that the government was on track to deliver an additional 5,000 permanent staffed hospital beds this winter and had met its target for 10,000 virtual ward beds.
Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing's director for England, commented: 'Behind the numbers are people suffering for hours with no privacy and left in danger of their health drastically deteriorating.' She said patients would not get the care they deserved until the government committed to safe nurse staffing levels and fair pay.
