London hospitals brace for ‘historic winter crisis’ as 12-hour-plus A&E waits hit new high

The number of patients in London having to wait more than 12 hours for emergency care has soared by a third in two months - amid warnings the NHS faces a “historic crisis” this winter.

Over 452,000 people across England waited 12 hours or more for a bed from January to October, an all-time high figure and 34,000 higher than the same period last year.