New analysis by the Nuffield Trust, highlighted by the BMJ, shows that 43% of patients aged over 80 who were admitted via an emergency department waited more than 12 hours from arrival to admission to a ward last year.
Almost half of patients aged over 80 who were admitted via an emergency department last year waited more than 12 hours from the moment they arrived to being admitted to a ward, according to an analysis by the Nuffield Trust highlighted by the BMJ. The figure — 43% of that age group — points to a pattern of lengthy delays for older patients seeking urgent hospital care.
The BMJ posted the finding on X, drawing attention to the analysis.
Waits of more than 12 hours in emergency departments (A&E) are measured from the point a patient arrives, not from when they are seen by a clinician. For older patients, prolonged waits in a busy A&E environment carry particular risks, including falls, dehydration, and deterioration of existing conditions — though the analysis as reported does not specify the clinical outcomes associated with these delays.
The NHS target is for 95% of A&E patients to be seen, treated, and either admitted, transferred, or discharged within four hours. That standard has not been met nationally for several years.
Kent residents aged over 80, or those caring for someone in that age group, who are concerned about accessing urgent care should contact NHS 111 before attending an emergency department where possible. NHS 111 can assess symptoms and direct callers to the most appropriate service, which may avoid a lengthy A&E wait. In a life-threatening emergency, call 999.
Key information
- NHS 111 — call 111 (free, 24 hours a day) for urgent medical advice that is not a 999 emergency
- 999 — call in a life-threatening emergency only
- Your GP — for non-urgent concerns about a family member’s health or care needs, contact your GP surgery in the first instance
Source: @bmj_latest