England A&E wait times led to needless deaths of up to 14,000, data suggests

The estimate is based on data from a study which found one excess death for every 72 patients that spent eight to 12 hours in an A&E department. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

Almost 14,000 people died needlessly last year in England while waiting in A&E for up to 12 hours a new estimate suggests.

Calculations by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) based on a large study of excess deaths and waiting times show that 268 people are likely to have died each week in 2023 because of excessive waits in emergency departments.