Long A&E waits causing heartbreaking suffering, Age UK says

The government has been urged to get a grip on long A&E waits with campaigners saying it is the rot eating away at the heart of the NHS.

The plea by Age UK comes as it publishes a report detailing “heartbreaking” stories of how older people are suffering, spending hours in corridors and side-rooms.

It highlights cases of people being left in their own excrement, having blood transfusions and even dying in these make-shift treatment areas.

And it said older people were much more likely to experience long waits, with data showing one in three over 90s attending A&E in England last year faced a 12-hour wait or more.

The government said the situation was unacceptable, but added it was taking action.

The Age UK report said while 12-hour waits were once virtually unheard of, they had now become the norm in too many places.

It highlighted the case of an 86-year-old who was left in a disused corridor for 36 hours.

Another man, who had soiled himself, was left in his own excrement for 20 hours, while others suffered the indignity of having to use bedpans in corridors.

Susan, 79, from south London, is one of those who has experienced a long wait, according to the Age UK report.

She said it took 22 hours for a bed to be found for her after she arrived at hospital having had a heart attack.

She spent a large part of her wait on a couch in a curtained-off area near A&E where there was no privacy. She believes she heard two people dying on couches nearby.

Regarding one of the deaths, she said: “I was next to a man who was clearly unwell. He was alone for some time, then his wife was brought in. They whispered as they had little privacy. Then, after a long silence, she was led away, crying. I’m certain he died. And he died right next to me.”

The report pointed to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from NHS England which showed there were more than 1.7 million 12-hour waits in 2024-25 at major hospitals – around one in 10 of those who attended A&Es.

Two thirds of them were experienced by people aged over 60.

The report said as well as being horrible, long waits were risky.

Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said it was a “crisis hiding in plain sight” and that the government should take immediate action.

“No-one should have to spend their final days in a hospital corridor where it’s impossible for staff to provide good, compassionate care.

“As we head into winter, we fear that an already difficult situation will get worse.

“Long waits are like a rot eating away at the heart of the NHS, undermining public trust.”

Age UK said a major cause of the problem was the lack of available support in the community, which meant hospitals could not discharge patients who are medically-fit to leave wards. That results in a shortage of beds available for new patients.

It called for a renewed effort and drive to tackle this.

RCN general secretary Prof Nicola Ranger said the problems were a “moral stain” on the health service.

“No elderly or vulnerable person should be forced to endure these conditions.

“Overstretched and understaffed nursing teams work hard every day to deliver the best care, but they face an impossible task.”

Health minister Karin Smyth said: “No one should receive care in a corridor – it’s unacceptable, undignified and we are determined to end it.”

She said the government was investing more money in the NHS and detailed data on corridor care would soon be published to hold the system to account.

“To tackle a problem you’ve got to be honest about it,” she added.