A&E delays linked to tens of thousands of patient deaths, top doctors claim

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine said the scale was ‘deeply distressing’

(EPA)

A&E delays may have led to more than 20,000 patient deaths last year, top emergency doctors have claimed.

“Hidden data” analysed by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said 1.65 million people waited more than 12 hours for treatment after arriving in A&E departments in 2022 - with 23,003 of these later dying as a result.

The RCEM warned that long waiting times can have “catastrophic consequences for patient safety and mortality”.