Patients are facing lengthy A&E waits across the UK (Image: Getty)
An interactive map has revealed where patients face the longest A&E waits in the UK. The NHS had its busiest month on record for A&E visits in March, with around 2.43million patients visiting their local department – this was 315,000 more than in February and 16,000 more than the previous record set in May 2024.
According to the data, 46,665 patients had to endure waits of over 12 hours in emergency wards across England last month. Although this figure was lower than February and January, it was the second highest on record for the month of March. A&E waits of over 12 hours have become increasingly common since the Covid-19 pandemic with just 331 patients enduring the lengthy wait time in March 2019. Meanwhile, this figure then lept to 22,506 by March 2022.
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A&E waiting times are often used as a barometer for the overall performance of the NHS as they are affected by pressures in other services, including ambulance call outs, primary care and social care services. For instance, some patients face lengthy waits in A&E because hospital wards are full.
In the early 2000s, the Labour government introduced the four-hour standard which pledged for at least 95% of A&E patients to be admitted to hospital, transferred to another provider, or discharged within four hours. However, this has not been met at national level in any year since 2013/2014.
Patients across the nation are continuing to face lengthy waits due to a number of factors, including rising demand for services and reduced NHS capacity. While the demand for hospital care has increased, the number of hospital beds and staff numbers have decreased.
According to the data, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust had the highest number of 12-hour waits in the country. A total of 1,771 patients had to wait over 12 hours from a decision to admit to being admitted.
Meanwhile, 1,511 patients faced 12-waits at departments under the Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. This was followed by the Barts Health NHS Trust with 1,207, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust with 1,200, and The Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust with 1,173.
The government has confirmed £237 million worth of investment to boost the capacity of the NHS. One area where the health service is showing signs of improvement is in the number of patients being treated within four hours at A&E, with 77% of all attendances spending less than four hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge – the highest since August 2021.
Ambulance response times for the most serious incidents were also the fastest in almost five years, averaging 26:18 in March. Around 80% of suspected cancer patients also received a diagnosis within 28 days in February – the highest proportion in NHS history.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said: “We inherited an NHS going through the worst crisis in its history after years of neglect. Today’s figures show just how far we’ve come.
“Through the government’s investment and modernisation – and thanks to the extraordinary effort of NHS staff across the country – waiting lists are down by over 400,000. We’re diagnosing or giving the all clear to a record number of cancer patients on time- something I am personally invested in as a kidney cancer survivor. Ambulance and A&E waits are both at their best for almost half a decade.
“Lots done and so much more to do. Despite record pressures and strikes, we have come within a cat’s whisker of the ambitious targets we set ourselves. But it’s not enough. There are still too many patients waiting far too long. The NHS is on the road to recovery, and my foot is pressing down hard on the accelerator.”