A&E delays are killing more than 300 people a week

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More than 300 patients are dying a week due to long waiting times in A&E. This figure represents a tenfold increase compared to 2015. It was calculated by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, using NHS data. The organisation’s study found that there is one avoidable death for every 72 people who spent between eight and 12 hours waiting for a bed. The NHS aims to admit, discharge or transfer 95% of A&E patients within four hours. Last year this target was met 60% of the time. This is due to a variety of factors, including a rise in emergency admissions, fewer beds and delays in discharges. The days of New Labour, when 98.5% of emergency patients were seen within four hours, feel like a distant memory.