The latest NHS England figures confirm what frontline healthcare workers already know: A&E is in crisis. In January, more than 60,000 patients waited over 12 hours in emergency departments, exceeding the total recorded in over 11 years before the pandemic. This figure isn't just a statistic; it's a glaring sign of a healthcare system stretched beyond its limits.
A New Low for Patient Care
A&E waiting times have long been a concern, but the latest numbers show just how deeply entrenched the problem has become. The so-called "trolley waits"—where patients who need admission are left waiting due to a lack of available hospital beds—were once rare. Now, they are the new normal.
This record-breaking figure was even more alarming even though overall A&E attendance was lower than last year. If fewer people are turning up to A&E but more are waiting for longer, it raises a fundamental question: what's going wrong?
The 95% Target is a Distant Memory
NHS England aims to have 95% of patients admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours. In January, the figure stood at 71.1%, an improvement from December but still dangerously below target. The attached graph illustrates how far we've fallen.
The NHS last met its 5% waiting target in July 2015. Since then, performance has declined dramatically, with waiting times increasing year after year. While the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this crisis, the data shows that the trend began long before.
A System at Breaking Point
This crisis is not confined to emergency departments. The NHS waiting list for routine treatment remains at 7.46 million people, meaning that 1 in 10 people in England is currently on a waiting list. Although there has been a slight drop in the number of patients waiting over a year (now at 200,375), it is still more than 100 times higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The government points to a small reduction in the overall waiting list as a sign of progress, but this does little to reassure patients waiting months—sometimes years—for essential treatment. Cancer waiting times remain dire, with more than 74,000 patients not treated in time last year. The government may celebrate small wins, but for those left suffering, these incremental changes are not enough.
The Consequences of Long A&E Waits
For patients, long A&E waits are not just frustrating—they can be deadly. Every hour spent in an overcrowded emergency department increases the risk of complications, deterioration, and even death.
As Dr Tim Cooksley from the Society for Acute Medicine put it, patients are facing "appalling conditions and prolonged waits" in emergency departments. This is not just a winter crisis; it's an ongoing disaster that shows no signs of easing.
These figures also have wider implications for public confidence in the NHS. The more patients experience long waits and inadequate care, the more they lose faith in the system. Delayed treatment doesn't just worsen health outcomes—it also undermines trust in healthcare professionals who are doing their best within a broken system. If we don't address these issues now, we risk pushing more people towards private healthcare, deepening inequalities in access to treatment.
Government Promises vs. Reality
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting insists that the government's Plan for Change has cut NHS waiting lists by 160,000 since July 2024. He also promises a new strategy for urgent and emergency care.
But those working on the frontline know that without addressing bed shortages, social care delays, and chronic understaffing, waiting times will continue to spiral out of control. The backlog in social care means thousands of medically fit patients cannot be discharged, keeping hospital beds occupied and preventing A&E admissions from moving through hospitals.
A&E is the Canary in the Coal Mine
The crisis in A&E reflects the NHS as a whole. Emergency care is collapsing under the weight of system-wide failures: GP shortages, lack of hospital capacity, overwhelmed ambulance services, and an exhausted workforce.
Short-term fixes will not solve this. To prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, the government must invest in workforce retention, expand hospital capacity, and improve social care support.
The data is clear. The NHS is struggling and failing to deliver timely care. And if more than 60,000 patients waiting 12 hours in A&E don't force urgent action, what will?
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