Nursing staff are braced for a worse corridor care disaster than last year, as new data from NHS England shows a sharp 26% increase in the numbers waiting more than 12hrs in A&E.

Data from NHS England shows 35,909 patients waited more than 12hrs in A&E in August 2025 compared to 28,494 in August 2024 – an increase of 26%

The data also shows that, even before the cold weather has arrived, long waits have already started to increase. The RCN says this could also point to this winter being even more difficult.

Long waits are the clearest indicator available of the prevalence of corridor care in the NHS. The UK government had pledged to deliver regular reporting of the practice across hospitals in the spring, however that has yet to materialise.

Executive Director of RCN England Patricia Marquis said:

“These figures show we are quickly headed towards a worse corridor care disaster than last year. Nursing staff have repeatedly warned about the crisis in our hospitals, but now the numbers enduring long waits has skyrocketed year on year, rising further before the cold weather is even here. Ministers need to act to protect patients this winter.

“To turn the corner on this devastating collapse in care standards, we need to shift care into the community, but that can only be done by investing in crucial community nursing roles. They are best placed to keep people well at home and ease pressures on hospitals. Government must also deliver the regular reporting of corridor care that was promised in spring this year. Transparency is key to improving care.

“Nursing staff will be angry at the thought of another winter delivering unsafe, undignified care to patients in cupboards, corridors and public areas. Rather than just rhetoric from the government we need to see detailed plans about how they will avoid another tragedy.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• Data from NHS England shows 35,909 patients waiting more than 12hours in A&E in August 2025 compared to 28,494 in August 2024 – an increase of 26%
• The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted, so-called “corridor care”, stood at 35,909 in August, up slightly from 35,467 in July.
• 75.9% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, down from 76.4% in July.
• The Government and NHS England have set a target of March 2026 for 78% of patients attending A&E to be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours.
• The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has risen for the second month in a row, NHS figures show.
• An estimated 7.40 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of July, relating to 6.25 million patients, up from 7.37 million treatments and 6.23 million patients at the end of June.