Two in five older adults face ‘unacceptable’ 12-hour ED waits

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By Daniel Pye

Older patients are more likely to face long waits in emergency departments, with two in five waiting over 12 hours to be admitted, according to data.

Experts have previously assumed that older adults spend longer in ED because they are more likely to be admitted to hospital.

However, the Nuffield Trust analysis suggests that when looking at patients of all ages who are admitted, adults over the age of 80 are still likely to wait the longest.

This means that the the oldest and frailest patients are often waiting for a bed in inappropriate and unsafe places like corridors and cupboards, the organisation said.

In 2025, 43% of those aged 81 and over faced a wait of more than 12 hours between arrival and admission to a hospital ward, compared with 19% of those aged 21-30.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said the report revealed the “unacceptable state of affairs in EDs”.