Elderly twice as likely to face long A&E waits, research into NHS shows

Frail elderly people are twice as likely as other patients to face long A&E waits, research shows, prompting warnings they may be treated as a lower priority.

The study found that just 35 per cent of people living with frailty or conditions linked to ageing – such as Alzheimer’s disease – received an initial assessment within the target time of four hours.

Across all patients the figure was 76 per cent, when the audit of NHS hospitals took place last year.

Researchers said the findings suggested that older people may be being treated as a lower priority, with younger people with simpler problems favoured for quicker treatment.

It follows warnings of “heartbreaking” age discrimination in A&E units.

‘Concerning trend’ of inequality

Earlier this week separate data showed that the chance of enduring waits of at least 12 hours rises with age, with the longest waits for those in their 90s.

In the latest study, researchers, led by academics at the University of Warwick, examined data from 152 hospitals in the UK relating to 7,248 emergency hospital admissions.

The data was collected as part of a snapshot audit by the Society of Acute Medicine on June 23 2022.

Daniel Lasserson, a professor of acute ambulatory care at the University of Warwick and the study’s lead researcher, said: “The data from this study shows a concerning trend across the NHS.

“Hospitals may not be giving equal priority to our frail and older patients and are favouring younger patients with simpler needs who can be assessed and treated more quickly.”

Dr Tim Cooksley, the immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “We know that older patients are more likely to experience degrading corridor care, and this data illustrates that, with further delays to important components of their care, this increases the likelihood of adverse outcomes.”

On Monday, an analysis by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine found the longest waiting times are for the oldest and most vulnerable patients – with those in their 90s facing the worst delays.

Its president told The Telegraph he feared such patients will be put at risk by “dangerous” levels of pressure on casualty departments this winter, accusing health chiefs of a “massive failure” to shore up services to cope with rising demand.

He added that too often the NHS was making its patients sicker.

12-hour waiting times

While over 60s represented 29 per cent of A&E attendees in England last year, they made up 63 per cent of those stuck on trolleys for at least 12 hours.

A quarter of A&E attendees over the age of 70 suffered such delays, along with one third of those over the age of 90.

Among those below the age of 60, the figure was only one in twenty, according to the data provided to the college under Freedom of Information disclosures.

In total, more than one million people aged 60 and over waited more than 12 hours in A&E in 2022. By December, almost half of those aged 90 and over also endured these waiting times.

Latest published data shows record A&E attendances in September of this year, with a fall in the proportion of 12-hour waits since March.

Speaking about the latest research from the University of Warwick, an NHS spokesman said: “While this analysis of a single day in 2022 does not provide a very full picture, it is right to highlight that older patients with complex care needs often require wider assessment and greater support, which can contribute to longer waiting times.

“Same-day emergency care is one of the many ways the NHS is working to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time for patients – and this model is helping improve patient flow to in fact enable emergency departments to prioritise those with complex needs and who are in need of wider assessment.”