Responding to the latest NHS England A&E figures which show a rise in 12hr waits, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:
“These figures are incredibly alarming. Even before the cold weather hits, the number of people experiencing long, tortuous waits in A&E are skyrocketing. All signs are pointing to a corridor care disaster this winter and ministers must now take urgent steps to keep patients safe.
“The best way to protect patients and ease pressures in hospitals is through investment to unlock additional capacity across primary care, community and social care.
“With the Budget not far away this is the government’s chance to invest in the NHS, including additional beds in properly equipped and staffed clinical spaces. Patients also deserve full transparency on care standards and the government must begin publishing the data on corridor care taking place in the NHS.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Data from NHS England shows
- 75.0% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&Es last month, down from 75.9% in August.
- 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 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 44,765 in September, up from 35,909 in August.
- The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission also rose, standing at 129,035 in September, up from 115,826 in August.
- The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has risen for the third month in a row, NHS figures show.
- An estimated 7.41 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of August, relating to 6.26 million patients, up slightly from 7.40 million treatments and 6.25 million patients at the end of July
