Mon Apr 21 10:50:00 UTC 2025: ## NHS Trolley Waits Soar to Record Highs

**London** – A dramatic surge in NHS patients waiting 24 hours or more on trolleys in A&E before being admitted to a hospital ward has been revealed. New figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats from 54 NHS Trusts show at least 49,000 such incidents in 2024, a 71-fold increase compared to 689 in 2019. The true number is likely significantly higher, as data from only a fraction of NHS Trusts was included.

The data highlights the disproportionate impact on older patients, with those over 65 accounting for nearly 70% of the 24-hour waits. Some patients endured waits of up to 10 days, with one pensioner facing a near six-day delay. The increase, while exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to rise in 2023 and 2024.

Lib Dem health spokeswoman Helen Morgan condemned the situation, stating that patients deserve better than “ramshackled waiting rooms and corridors.” She urged the government to end “corridor care” – the practice of treating patients in hospital hallways – by the end of the parliamentary term. She criticized both the Conservative government’s handling of the issue and the Labour government’s current response.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson acknowledged the problem, stating that no patient should endure such waits. They highlighted government initiatives such as the new RSV vaccine, increased COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, and the end of strikes as efforts to improve the situation. They also pointed to the ongoing reform of the NHS to provide more community care and reduce A&E demand. However, they conceded that resolving the issue will take time.

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