1 week ago
Nearly 100,000 aged patients waited much than 12 hours connected trolleys successful A&E past twelvemonth – including 1 who spent 5 days waiting to beryllium admitted.
At slightest 16 NHS trusts said patients faced waits of 2 days aliases more, pinch over-65s base nan brunt of nan delays.
A state of accusation petition revealed a 25-fold summation successful 12-hour trolley waits for over-65s since 2019, pinch astir each trusts reporting nan business had worsened.
Responses were sent from 48 of 140 infirmary trusts, meaning nan existent numbers are apt to beryllium acold higher.
Nearly 100,000 aged patients waited much than 12 hours connected trolleys successful A&E past twelvemonth – including 1 who spent 5 days waiting to beryllium admitted
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it showed nan grade of nan 'corridor attraction crisis' and called for a boost to furniture numbers
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it showed nan grade of nan 'corridor attraction crisis' and called for a boost to furniture numbers.
He added: 'It is heartbreaking to deliberation that truthful galore older group are being forced to hold truthful agelong connected infirmary corridors, galore successful pain, because location aren't capable beds available. We cognize that agelong A&E waits are not conscionable distressing for patients but tin person a superior effect connected their health.'
The figures show that aged patients had an mean hold of 7 hours successful 2023 compared pinch six for each patients. Seven successful 10 of nan trusts that responded had longer mean waits for pensioners than their mean for each patients.
This period nan Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated that location were much than 268 excess deaths a week related to waits of 12 hours aliases longer successful A&E past year.
Sir Julian Hartley, main executive of NHS Providers, said: 'With grounds levels of unit crossed nan full wellness and attraction system, and request for beds outstripping supply, location will beryllium times erstwhile unit are forced to present attraction extracurricular of wards.'
Health leaders said that 5,000 other imperishable infirmary beds had been created, on pinch much than 10,000 'hospital astatine home' beds, freeing up capacity connected wards.
