13,000 patients waited over three days in England’s A&E departments last year

More than 13,000 patients waited at least three days for A&E treatment in England last year, new figures reveal.

And these patients include around 500,000 people waiting in NHS emergency departments for more than 24 hours before being admitted, transferred or discharged.

Statistics obtained by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) shows that the number of patients spending at least one day in A&E has risen by a third since 2023, with January 2026 recording by far the worst monthly total in the last five years.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said target waiting times at A&E had reached ‘touching distance’ in recent months and the NHS was ‘finally moving in the right direction’.

However, experts said that sick patients said they “preferred to die at home rather than come to the hospital and wait.”

The findings, obtained through a freedom of information request (FOI), reveal that a total of 66,847 patients spent more than 24 hours in a type 1 A&E department (the most common type of emergency department with facilities to resuscitate patients); This corresponds to almost one in 20 patients.

Of these, 9,379 patients remained in the emergency department for more than 48 hours.

Overall, 493,751 patients spent at least 24 hours in a type 1 emergency department in 2025; this number was 487,608 in 2024 and 377,986 in 2023.

Patients are advised by the NHS to visit A&E for ‘serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies’ and the health service’s aim is to ensure 95 per cent of patients are admitted, treated or discharged within four hours.

Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, told the BMJ: ‘I have heard of patients saying they would rather die at home than come to hospital and wait.’

The BMJ found 72-hour waits have fallen from a peak of 19,579 in 2023, but experts say the overall problem with A&E care has worsened.

James Gagg, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told the BMJ that a 24-hour wait was almost unheard of if you returned before 2020.

During the long waits, he added: ‘This is where the damage is done; We know that patient mortality rates are worse because of delays in care.’

Danielle Jefferies, senior analyst at the health think tank King’s Fund, said the figures were one of the ‘most visible and worrying’ signs that ‘the hospital healthcare system is not working’.

Concerns have also been expressed that waiting times will not calm down in the spring, despite Mr Streeting’s pledge to ‘relieve pressure on busy emergency departments’ while ensuring ‘patients are treated quicker’.

Last April and May, 38,765 and 36,609 patients, respectively, waited more than 24 hours in the Emergency Department. This was more than double the 15,225 recorded in January.

Patel added: ‘Spring would come and we would feel a sense of relief. Any time of year now, even when we report for hallway maintenance for August, when traditionally people are on vacation and don’t want to come in… even then it’s very busy.

‘This is a systemic situation across the board.’

Health Minister Wes Streeting said earlier this month the government was ‘moving away from unacceptable corridor care’

An NHS England spokesperson said: ‘While the number of people waiting more than four hours in A&E is at a five-year low – despite record attendances – thanks to the hard work of staff, we know there are still too many people waiting unacceptably long or being forced to wait in inappropriate areas.

‘That’s why the NHS is reforming the urgent and emergency care system and supporting trusts facing the biggest challenges; with some good early evidence of a reduction in corridor care for patients.’

The rise in cases shows no signs of calming after official NHS figures revealed that A&E departments in England saw their highest ever number of attendances this March.

More than 2.43 million people sought help from A&Es last month; This is the highest figure recorded in more than 15 years.

Officials said the demand was driven in part by a meningitis outbreak in Kent that left two students dead and several others hospitalized.

The ‘extended winter’ has also put pressure on services.

The previous monthly record for A&E attendances was set in May 2024 during NHS doctors’ strikes. More than a million hospital appointments were rescheduled as a result.

Junior doctors, also known as junior doctors, went on strike again earlier this month in a series of strikes that cost hospitals £3bn.