Almost 150,000 people aged 90 and over in England endure waits of more than 12 hours in accident and emergency departments every year, with some left for days in corridors, according to a report by Age UK.
The charity described the situation as “truly shocking,” warning that elderly patients are being left in distressing and undignified conditions while awaiting treatment.
The report revealed that more than one million patients aged 60 and over faced delays exceeding 12 hours in 2024–25 before being transferred, admitted, or discharged from type 1 emergency departments. Among them, one in three aged 90 and above – 149,293 individuals – waited longer than 12 hours for care.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “What’s happening to some very ill older people when they come to A&E is a crisis hiding in plain sight which the government must face up to and take immediate action to resolve. No one should have to spend their final days in a hospital corridor where it’s impossible for the staff to provide good, compassionate care.”
The report outlined several distressing cases, including an elderly woman who died from a heart attack after waiting for hours, and an 86-year-old man who was “lost” in a disused hospital corridor. Another patient was left on an IV drip in a chair for 20 hours, unable to reach the toilet, and soiled himself.
A 79-year-old participant compared current A&E corridor scenes to “war films with queues of stretchers and people suffering.” The report also detailed “puddles of urine” on hospital floors and patients using bedpans in public corridors due to mobility issues and insufficient staff assistance.
Many older patients are now reluctant to visit A&E even in life-threatening situations, fearing similar experiences. One widow recounted how her husband, left unattended for more than 20 hours, was forced to sit in soiled clothing while waiting for help.
Abrahams added: “Many of the stories we have heard from older people and their families are heartbreaking. The older you are, the more likely you seem to endure a lengthy and uncomfortable wait. Corridor care and long A&E waits are like a rot eating away the heart of the NHS.”
She called on ministers to introduce a clear plan to end long A&E waits, including deadlines and funding commitments. “There’s a lot that hospitals can do to improve the situation in their A&Es,” she said, “but what’s most needed now is for government to step up, show determined leadership and use all the levers at its disposal to bring this crisis, which is disproportionately hurting our oldest, to an end.”
Helen Morgan MP, the Liberal Democrats’ health spokesperson, described the accounts as “harrowing,” saying: “These stories – of elderly men and women crammed into hospital corridors, left in their own excrement, unable to drink and eat – have no place in a modern or decent society.”
Professor Nicola Ranger from the Royal College of Nursing called the report “devastating,” adding: “No elderly or vulnerable person should be forced to endure these conditions. It is unsafe, undignified, and unacceptable.”
Daniel Elkeles of NHS Providers said the findings were “shocking” and highlighted the urgent need for investment to increase hospital capacity. Rory Deighton of NHS Confederation also urged for “viable alternatives” to A&E, such as improved access to GPs, walk-in centres, and local frailty support.
Health minister Karin Smyth MP described the report as “heartbreaking,” stating: “No one should receive care in a corridor – it’s unacceptable, undignified and we are determined to end it.” She added that the government was investing £450 million in new urgent and emergency care centres, purchasing 500 ambulances, and building 40 mental health crisis centres to help address the issue.
