Commenting on the release today (12 February) of the latest NHS performance data which shows 71,517 patients were delayed over 12 hours in emergency departments (2,307 decision to admit delays over 12 hours per day which is an increase of 16.2% from January 2025), Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:
“The latest NHS performance data shows the scale of the problem we face and how the situation is worsening, with 71,517 people waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments – up more than 20,000 in a month.
“These are people unwell enough to need admission, often older and frail with complex needs, who are at the greatest risk of harm when care is being delivered in corridors and hospitals are operating beyond safe limits.
“The overcrowding we are seeing in emergency departments reflects sustained pressure in acute medical wards and throughout hospitals, where bed capacity has fallen, staffing is stretched and flow is routinely blocked.
“Financial constraints are now compounding the problem. Hospitals are being asked to deliver more activity with the same or fewer staff, while ward closures and vacancy gaps reduce the system’s ability to absorb pressure. That is not a performance issue but a capacity issue.
“The new 72-hour acute pathway standards are welcome but standards alone cannot compensate for a lack of bed capacity, workforce shortages and poor social care provision.
“Without investment that matches demand, hospitals will remain stuck in cycles of short term emergency escalation states and patients will continue to experience avoidable harm.”