England A&E departments hit record 12-hour wait levels

NHS England performance figures for July 2026 reveal record-breaking delays in Emergency Departments (ED). Over 150,000 patients in major Type 1 EDs waited more than 12 hours, marking the worst July on record for such waits. Additionally, more than 47,000 patients spent over 12 hours waiting on a trolley.

Daily averages show approximately 2,300 patients receiving care in hospital corridors. A new record was also set for discharge delays, with over 14,000 patients unable to leave the hospital despite being ready. Despite the summer period typically seeing performance recovery, four-hour performance targets decreased by 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous July.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned that EDs risk reaching a breaking point before winter unless urgent action is taken. The College noted that congestion is often driven by poor patient flow and shortages of inpatient beds due to social care system issues, rather than solely by increased demand.