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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Health
Jane Kirby

Oldest patients facing longest waits in A&E as doctors say system is ‘failing our most vulnerable’

RCEM Adrian Boyle NHS

More than a million elderly people in England endured waits of 12 hours or more in A&E in 2024, prompting senior doctors to warn of an "alarming threat to patient safety".

A new report from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) reveals a stark increase in the number of elderly and frail patients facing extensive waits, often on trolleys in corridors.

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