“Corridor care” the new normal say Liberal Democrats as more than half a million people faced record waits in A&E in 2024

A staggering 518,213 people across England waited 12 hours or more to be seen in A&E in 2024, new research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The record-breaking figures follow news that one NHS hospital has advertised for “corridor care” nurses to care for patients waiting for a bed. 

Trafford Liberal Democrat councillor, Simon Lepori – who sits on the Council’s health committee - said, “Lives are at stake and key NHS services are dangerously overstretched.  It is utterly unacceptable.” 

“In Trafford our NHS is increasingly struggling to cope.  The pressures we see in our local A&E waiting rooms are sadly predictable.  Ambulance waiting times are escalating and waiting lists are ever-longer, we have lost some local GP services as well.  The decision to close Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit without a new plan for urgent care makes no sense.”   

In 2024, 518,213 people waited 12 hours or more to be seen in A&E.  This is a drastic 25% increase on 2023, when the figure was 415,000.

Councillor Lepori said, “This government is simply plagued by uncertainty.  They don’t seem to know where to even begin.” 

“We need a drastic increase of hospital beds to return to safe levels and a pandemic-style emergency recruitment campaign to bring staff out of retirement and back into the workforce.”