Over 16,600 patients experienced preventable fatalities in England’s emergency departments last year because of extremely lengthy wait times, according to a critical report.
An analysis conducted by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine revealed that the shocking death rate—which equates to approximately 320 fatalities per week—is about one-fifth higher compared to 2023 figures.
The people were injured when they were made to wait on a stretcher as medical staff looked for an open hospital bed.
Dr Adrian Boyle, the College’s president, stated: “I find myself unable to properly articulate the magnitude of this number.”
'To provide some perspective, this is like having two plane crashes each week.'
'It’s sobering, heartbreaking, and utterly devastating—and even beyond that. This goes far deeper than mere numbers and figures.'
'Every figure stands for an individual—a beloved family member, including grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends—who has passed away due to a broken system.'
'These were patients trapped in emergency departments, anxiously staring at the clock as they endured lengthy waits, frequently on a gurney in a hallway, for an inpatient room to open up.'
Dr Boyle will present the findings today [THU] during the inauguration of the recently established All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Emergency Care.
The team, led by Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who is also an A&E physician, stated that their initial focus will be on assessing the damage inflicted upon patients due to wait times and 'hallway treatment'.
Last year, over 1.7 million patients spent 12 hours or longer waiting for admission, discharge, or transfer at the emergency department.
Among these cases, 69.2 percent were awaiting admission to a ward for additional treatment, according to the RCEM.
For its excess death calculations, the RCEM relies on a study involving over five million NHS patients that was published in the Emergency Medicine Journal (EMJ) in 2021.
It was observed that for every 72 patients who waited between eight to 12 hours in the emergency department before being assigned a bed, there was one additional fatality.
The likelihood of dying from any reason within 30 days began to rise after five hours and became more severe as the wait time increased.
Through this approach, RCEM calculates that there were approximately 16,644 additional fatalities in 2024 due to durations exceeding 12 hours.
This equates to 320 lives lost each week, an increase of 20 percent from the 13,919 reported the prior year.
A distressing report from the Royal College of Nurses in January highlighted how deceased patients remain unnoticed for hours in emergency departments because staff are overwhelmed with workloads.
A critical lack of hospital beds has led to British patients being forced into deplorable conditions, such as waiting in car parks, closets, and restrooms at medical facilities.
The event included statements from over 5,000 nurses revealing that they often have up to 40 patients lined up in one hallway—some obstructing emergency exits or positioned beside snack dispensers.
Over there, they do not have access to a call bell, oxygen supply, or life-saving devices and are frequently beyond the visible range of the nurse's station.
Dr Boyle mentioned that the study pertains solely to a specific group of NHS patients and acknowledged 'there could likely be numerous additional heartbreaking fatalities associated with prolonged hospital stays'.
He elaborated: "For instance, patients end up waiting for critical medical attention in the community as ambulances cannot discharge their patients at emergency departments due to overcrowding, or individuals feeling too apprehensive to seek assistance when needed."
'The problem similarly impacts A&E personnel who are striving to provide care in zones meant to serve as passageways – not medical treatment areas.'
'In the end, the emergency care crisis can be resolved. It's all about patient movement - ensuring individuals get admitted to a hospital bed when needed and return home once they're healthy enough to depart.'
'What is the best approach for this will be examined by the APPG, and we are eager to collaborate with the MPs and peers who have become members as we aim to revive emergency care.'
At the launch event, Dr Boyle will reveal that nearly half a million (478,901) patients spent over 24 hours in emergency departments last year — equating to one out of every 35 individuals who visited.
He will mention that this figure represents an increase of 100,410 individuals compared to the year 2023.
Dr Allin-Khan stated: "These figures paint a rather grim picture."
'Rising fatalities and extended waiting periods in our emergency rooms cannot be sustained indefinitely.'
Dr Nick Murch, who serves as the president of the Society for Acute Medicine, stated that these numbers indicate a 'significant breakdown' within their healthcare framework. He further commented, "The sheer volume of fatalities linked to extended wait times in emergency rooms is utterly staggering; however, regrettably, indications pointing towards this issue have persisted for an alarmingly long duration."
'We need to make sure that 12-hour wait times in emergency departments turn into rare exceptions instead of being commonplace, and this will demand prompt and sufficient measures to address staffing and capacity problems that have yet to be resolved.'
A representative from the Department of Health and Social Care stated: "This report exposes the emergency situation regarding NHS wait times that we took over, where patients faced intolerable delays for critical care. Correcting our NHS issues will be a lengthy process, yet we are committed to making the necessary efforts to resolve this."
'That's why we're putting in an additional £26 billion to revamp the healthcare system and ensure it meets future needs through our transformation strategy.'
This involves moving services from hospitals to communities to reduce the strain on emergency departments, along with hiring an additional 1,000 general practitioners to attend to patients sooner and focus more on preventive care.
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