Every day 1,000 patients have to wait more than 12 hours in A&E

A THOUSAND patients a day on average faced more than 12-hour waits in casualty departments last year, a report reveals – but the real figure is thought to be far higher.

- Hanna Geissler

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) found 381,991 people suffered alarming delays which it said showed the “critical state” of the urgent care system.

The data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, covered only 74 out of England’s 124 NHS trusts in 2021 – meaning the true number will be greater still.