Scandal of 'older patient, longer the delay in A&E'

MORE than a million over-60s endured long waits at A&E last year - and the oldest were the most likely to experience delays.

- By Jane Kirby

Figures obtained by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine show 1.15 million older people waited more than 12 hours to be transferred, admitted or discharged in England's major A&E departments in 2024.

This is around three times the 2019 figure, when 305,619 were affected.

The RCEM report also revealed that older people needing hospital treatment often find themselves stuck on trolleys in corridors for hours on end.