NHS: "Thousands of deaths were caused by crowding in emergency departments" - Report

The membership organisation for the NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services, said trusts were working “flat out” while “already working beyond full stretch”.

Trusts are working flat out to deliver the best possible care for patients under extremely challenging circumstances.

Health leaders have issued fresh warnings about pressures on the NHS over the winter as a new report found thousands of deaths were caused by crowding in emergency departments.

The report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) suggests at least 4,519 patients died as a result of crowding and 12-hour stays in A&E departments in England in 2020-2021.

It said the discovery adds to NHS England’s own findings that one in 67 patients staying in the Emergency Department for 12 hours comes to excess harm.

Dr Adrian Boyle, vice president for policy of the RCEM, said: “To say this figure is shocking is an understatement.

Quite simply, crowding kills. For many years we have issued warnings about the harm that dangerous crowding causes, but now we can see the number of excess deaths that have occurred as a result.”

He added October saw 7,059 12-hour stays – the highest number ever recorded and a 40% rise from September.

Dr Boyle also warned of harder months ahead, following a trend of the number of long stays rising “drastically” over the last six months.

A report by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives also revealed as many as 160,000 patients may be coming to harm each year due to delays in ambulance staff handing over to hospitals on arrival. 

The college is calling on the Government to publish a long-term workforce plan, including provisions to retain existing staff who are reaching burnout and obtaining new recruits.

The RCEM said there was a shortfall of 2,000 to 2,500 emergency medicine consultants and shortages of essential emergency medicine nurses and junior and supporting staff.

Dr Boyle said: “This is the beginning of a long winter and an extremely challenging time for the current workforce as pressures will rise and patient safety will continue to be put at risk.”

Responding to the RCEM report, Matthew Taylor chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the heath service was under “critical and unsustainable pressure”.