Commenting on findings from a Care Quality Commission survey of more than 45,500 people who used NHS urgent and emergency care (UEC) services in 2024, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The fact two-thirds of patients reported waiting more than four hours and subsequently had worse than average experiences in all other areas of care lays bare the scale of the challenge ahead.
“It is simply unsustainable to rely on the dedication of overworked staff to simply stay afloat. We urgently need to see the issues of workforce, capacity and social care provision addressed by the government.”