Think I've just seen the longest a&e wait time ever

180 replies

nairobi9 · 15/09/2026 00:02

Just took my friend to a&e for a very definitely broken hand. Can you guess the wait time?

13.5 hours! Never seen anything like it in my life. It's midnight, before we left someone was in tears stating she had been there with her elderly mum since midday.

We are now driving 2 hours to the next nearest hospital which apparently, according to the receptionist has a 4 hour wait currently.

Is this normal? Haven't been to hospital for years so unsure if this is ridiculously long or just the norm now.

OP posts:

Harrysmummy246 · 15/09/2026 18:30

Shudacudawuda · 15/09/2026 09:20

Why has it got so much worse in the last 20 years?
Massive population growth without the required increase in hospital beds to go alongside it.

Show quote history

14 years of chronic underfunding

over50andfab · 15/09/2026 22:01

suki1964 · 15/09/2026 00:28

Mum was an expected patient to A&E, waited 5 hours in the waiting room, then 28hrs in A&E before they found her a bed

One lad had been there 72 hrs

And the saddest thing? We were grateful that she at least had the privacy of a cubicle and a bed rather than a trolley for her time there. Our A&E's are now wards, bunged with patients on trolleys who can be there 3 or 4 days before getting a ward. And Im grateful that they at least could do the tests she needed from there, but if I wasnt there, there was no nursing. No one to help her to the toilet, change wet sheets, change her - because the nurses were just swamped

Im sat here with a UTI - proven with urine sample last Monday - GP appointment - 29th of this month

If you’re under 64 and the UTI was diagnosed with a properly done lab test (rather than dipstick) how about trying Pharmacy First which is now able to provide antibiotics for uncomplicated UTIs

TheWytch · 15/09/2026 23:19

icircleyouuuuuu · 15/09/2026 07:15

If you can pick and choose what hospital you’re seen at, you don’t need to be in a&e.

It's 40 minutes to my local Welsh hospital or 60 minutes to the nearest English hospital.

As the Welsh NHS was unable to treat my very elderly father on blood thinners for a simple nosebleed ( potentially life threatening for him) due to having no way to cauterise the bleed, I would now always choose the extra 20 minutes travel time.

JudyTeeny · 15/09/2026 23:21

My husband waited 14 hours when he went in suffering from sepsis. He was very lucky to survive.

Timeforachange26 · 15/09/2026 23:21

DarkLion · 15/09/2026 00:08

I’m a nurse and that’s usually an everyday occurrence! My trust was on the news about a year ago for the worst waiting times in the uk though. Don’t forget though that problems are triaged so if you are critically unwell you’re not going to be waiting 13 hours

Is it normal to wait an hour and a quarter to be triaged??that I found worrying as was in there with someone with suspected stroke

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