‘15% rise in 12-hour waits a stark warning’ says SAM president (09 October)

Commenting on the release today (09 October) of the latest monthly NHS performance data, Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The 15% rise in 12-hour waits in emergency departments is a stark warning that urgent and emergency care across the UK is in a state of national emergency. 

“Nearly 1,500 people every day – many of them frail and clinically vulnerable – are being left in overcrowded, unsafe environments for far too long. 

“These are not just numbers; they represent real people in distress and facing avoidable harm. This level of delay has become an unacceptable and dangerous new norm. 

“It reflects a deep-rooted failure of system-wide capacity, workforce shortages and poor flow through hospitals – not isolated pressure points. 

“Patients are often stuck in emergency departments because there are no beds available in acute medical units or inpatient wards, and staff are left managing intolerable levels of demand with limited resources.

“The impact is profound – on patient safety, on dignity of care and on staff wellbeing. Clinicians are suffering from burnout and moral injury, and the ongoing exodus of experienced healthcare professionals is further destabilising the system.

“As we head into winter, we need more than short-term fixes. There must be immediate and sustained political commitment to address the root causes: from social care capacity and hospital bed shortages, to long-term workforce planning and investment in community services. 

“Without this, the most vulnerable in our society will continue to come to harm and the NHS will remain gridlocked.”