- At least 16 NHS trusts said patients faced waits of two days or more
- Request for information revealed a 25-fold increase in 12-hour waits for those over 65 since 2019
Nearly 100,000 elderly patients waited more than 12 hours on emergency trolleys last year, including one who spent five days waiting to be admitted.
At least 16 NHS trusts said patients were facing waits of two days or more, with those over 65 hit hardest by delays.
A freedom of information request revealed that 12-hour tram waits for over-65s have increased 25-fold since 2019, with almost all trusts reporting the situation had worsened.
Responses were submitted from 48 of 140 hospital trusts, meaning the true figures are likely to be much higher.
Nearly 100,000 elderly patients waited more than 12 hours on emergency carts last year, including one who spent five days waiting to be admitted (File Image)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it showed the extent of the “corridor care crisis” and called for an increase in bed numbers.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it showed the extent of the “corridor care crisis” and called for an increase in bed numbers.
He added: “It is heartbreaking to think that so many older people are forced to wait so long in hospital corridors, many of them in pain, because there are not enough beds available.” We know that long waits in A&E are not only distressing for patients, but can also have a serious impact on their health.’
Figures show elderly patients had an average wait of seven hours in 2023, compared to six for all patients. Seven in ten of the trusts that responded had longer average waits for pensioners than the average for all patients.
This month, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated there were more than 268 extra deaths a week linked to waits of 12 hours or more in A&E last year.
Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “With record levels of pressure across the health and care system, and demand for beds outstripping supply, there will be times when staff will be forced to provide care outside of the rooms”.
Health leaders said an additional 5,000 permanent hospital beds had been created, along with more than 10,000 “hospital at home” beds, freeing up ward capacity.