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More than 1 million older people a year in England are forced to wait longer than 12 hours in A&E, with many having to endure “degrading and dehumanising” corridor waits on trolleys.
The number aged 60 and over waiting more than 12 hours to be transferred, admitted or discharged increased to 1.15 million in 2024, up from 991,068 in 2023. The figure was 305,619 in 2019, according to data obtained by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) under freedom of information laws.
A report by the RCEM also found the risk of a 12-hour wait in an emergency department in England increased with the age of the patient. People aged 60 to 69 had a 15% chance of waiting 12 hours or more. For those aged 90 and over, the likelihood rose to 33%.
“The healthcare system is failing our most vulnerable patients – more than a million last year,” said Dr Adrian Boyle, the president of the RCEM. “These people are our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents.
“They aren’t receiving the level of care they need, as they endure the longest stays in our emergency departments, often suffering degrading and dehumanising corridor care. It’s an alarming threat to patient safety. We know long stays are dangerous, especially for those who are elderly, and puts people’s lives at risk.”
As well as long waits, the RCEM report found many older people were missing out on vital checks in A&E. Of patients aged over 75, only 16% were screened for delirium – a reversible condition linked to an increased risk of death. Fewer than half (48%) of patients were screened for their risk of falls.
Dr Nick Murch, the president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This situation, where over a million older patients are known to have endured prolonged periods of over 12 hours in emergency departments, frequently in unsuitable and undignified settings such as corridors, is a matter of grave concern.
“It is clear that, despite the considerable dedication and hard work of multidisciplinary teams including emergency medicine, acute medicine and acute frailty services, these extended waiting times signify a profound failure within our healthcare system.
“We must ensure that 12-hour waits in emergency departments again become an infrequent exception rather than the norm.”
The RCEM recommends changes, including “front door frailty screening” in every A&E, which is already being introduced in Scotland.
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Boyle said: “It’s the system that’s the issue and will continue to disproportionally affect older people unless governments across the UK make A&E a political priority.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable that older people are waiting up to 12 hours or more in A&E. This government is investing £26bn in the NHS and social care over the next two years, has ended the resident doctor strikes so staff are on the frontline, and is committed to cutting A&E waiting times so patients are seen faster.
“Through our 10-year health plan, we will ensure that patients, including older people, are seen promptly in A&E, waiting times continue to come down, and more people get a GP appointment.”
