Winter Crisis Looms as Hospital Delays Soar and Discharge Backlogs Grow
Nursing leaders are warning of a “devastating” winter ahead as new figures reveal a staggering 90-fold increase in 12-hour hospital admission waits over the past six years.
Analysis shows that between July and September this year, 116,141 patients waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments after a decision to admit them – compared to just 1,281 in 2019. This represents an increase of almost 9,000%.
The situation is placing unprecedented pressure on emergency and elective care services across England, with implications for patient flow throughout the entire health and care system.
Capacity Crisis
Despite the dramatic rise in demand, overnight bed capacity has grown by only 2% since 2019, adding just 2,192 beds. This means 52 patients who are sick enough to be admitted are now competing for each additional bed.
The pressures are being further compounded by limited capacity in community and social care services, which is preventing timely hospital discharge. NHS data from October 2024 revealed an average of 13,117 patients remained in hospital each day despite being medically fit for discharge – a 6% increase on the previous year.
These findings are detailed in a new briefing paper titled Bracing for winter: a close look at NHS emergency and elective care in England and its implications for corridor care, published by the Royal College of Nursing.
Growing Frustrations
The crisis is also reflected in patient behaviour, with more people leaving A&E without receiving treatment. This figure has jumped from 100,000 in 2019 to more than 320,000 in 2024, reflecting growing frustration with under-staffed and under-resourced services.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said: “Nursing staff and patients alike endured a horrendous winter last year, with corridor care rife across every service. Worryingly, after no respite in the summer, the signs point to the coming colder months being devastating and more dangerous for patients.”
The Reality of Corridor Care
In the absence of published data on corridor care – which the government committed to releasing almost six months ago – waits of 12 hours or more are considered the clearest indicator of the practice taking place in hospitals.
Corridor care sees patients treated on trolleys, chairs, and even in cupboards or offices, often without access to essential equipment like oxygen and suction. Nursing staff have reported patients enduring intimate examinations in public areas, whilst temporary escalation spaces are being counted as safe, clinical “beds” in official figures.
In January, thousands of nursing staff shared testimony of patients enduring corridor care, with some dying and remaining undiscovered for hours. The RCN declared a “national emergency” over the issue in May 2024.
Call for Action
Professor Ranger emphasised the need for urgent government intervention: “Nursing staff have repeatedly warned about a corridor care national emergency, but the lack of urgency in tackling the crisis is unacceptable. Bed capacity has remained static, nurse numbers in hospitals haven’t increased to the level required and community services are not being invested in anywhere near fast enough.”
The RCN is calling on ministers to boost capacity through new funding to improve staffing levels and increase hospital bed numbers. The organisation is also urging a more rapid timeline of investment to grow staff and provision in primary, community and social care services.
“Ministers must also stop delaying publishing the data on just how widespread corridor care is,” Professor Ranger added. “Patients deserve transparency over care standards.”
The capacity constraints in community and social care remain a critical bottleneck, with care home sector leaders emphasising that investment in these services is essential to ease hospital pressures and ensure safe, timely discharge for elderly and vulnerable patients.
