The RCP has warned that urgent action is needed to tackle persistent pressures on emergency care services, as new NHS England statistics published today [Thursday 15 May] continue to show widespread delays.
Today's figures show that total A&E attendances last month reached 2.29 million, the busiest April on record, with just 74.8% of patients seen within four hours — well below NHS England’s 95% target. Worryingly, 44,881 patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E from the decision to admit to actual admission, a sign that patient flow throughout the hospital remains a persistent challenge.
In February, NHS England committed to a one-off data publication of the scale and use of temporary escalation spaces in the Spring. The RCP says that this data must still be published as planned, with a further commitment to publish data on the incidences of corridor care year-round to fully understand the scale of the problem.
Performance statistics also show NHS waiting lists in England stood at 7.42 million in April, up 20,000 from the previous month. 59.8% of patients were treated within 18 weeks - the highest percentage since August 2022, but still below the target of 65% by March 2026 and 92% by March 2029.
Responding to the figures, Dr John Dean, RCP clinical vice president, said: “Today's statistics underline the scale of the challenge in emergency departments that the upcoming Urgent and Emergency Care plan must tackle. Too many patients are spending hours waiting for beds, often receiving care in corridors — a situation that is unsafe for both patients and staff. We need clear solutions, built on a transparent review of how effective measures have been to date, to improve hospital flow, tackle corridor care and build a more resilient service that delivers safe and timely care. We know that delays in discharge and transfer are a major cause of the current pressures. Data on the use of temporary care environments must be published by NHS England as promised without delay.
“More widely, we need to reduce the number of people needing urgent and emergency services in the first place. Faster access to planned treatment and robust action on the causes of ill health are vital to reduce the pressure across the system, from waiting lists to emergency departments. The 10-year plan committing to reform of outpatient care and cross-government action on health inequalities would be promising steps in the right direction”.
Reflecting on the situation across the country, Dr Janson Leung, RCP regional adviser for the East Midlands (North), said: “We are seeing more and more patients waiting for long periods in A&E, sometimes in busy corridors with little privacy. Staff are doing everything they can, but without more investment in services and urgent action to tackle the root causes of poor health, the situation will only get worse. We need solutions that work not just nationally but for every local health system too.”
Earlier this year, the RCP published guidance for staff and healthcare systems on managing temporary care environments such as corridors, outlining practical measures to protect patient safety when no other options are available.