New figures from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) reveal that in 2025, at least 965 patients in Wales died after waiting 12 hours or more to be admitted, an average of 18 people every week, up 29 from 2024.
The Welsh Conservatives said the figures are a stark reminder that urgent action is needed and renewed their calls for a health emergency to restore the NHS and ensure patients get the care they deserve.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Peter Fox MS said:
“These figures are deeply concerning, and my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of all of patients who have sadly lost their lives as a result of long waits in emergency departments.
“Every patient deserves timely care and no one should have to wait 12 hours or more to be admitted. This data underlines the urgent need for strong, effective action to get our health service back on track.
“The Welsh Conservatives have a clear and credible plan to declare a health emergency in order to restore performance, cut waiting times, end corridor care and deliver the timely care people across Wales deserve.”
The scale of deaths linked to long A&E waits last year should send shockwaves through the entire political system in Wales, and whoever forms the next Welsh Government must commit to ending the link between long waits and deaths by 2030.
This call comes from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), as it reveals that an estimated 965 deaths in Wales in 2025 were associated with waits of 12 or more hours Emergency Departments before admission into a hospital bed.
That’s an average of 18 people per week dying due to long waits in ED.
Worse still, new analysis shows an increase of 29 deaths compared to 2024.
These findings are published today (24 March 2026) in RCEM’s State of Emergency Medicine in Wales report, which sets out the true scale of the crisis patients and staff face in Welsh EDs.
This new report also outlines how the long waits, high bed occupancy and deaths associated with them can be curbed.
We are calling on all political parties to commit to bringing the excess death figure associated with long waits in ED to zero by the end of the decade.
Dr Rob Perry, RCEM Vice President for Wales, said of the findings: “Any number of avoidable deaths in Emergency Departments is a tragedy – that there were almost a thousand last year should send shockwaves through the entire political system.
“My heart goes out to the loved ones of any person who died following long waits in EDs.
“These may have been our most vulnerable patients – those who have been deemed sick or injured enough to require admission. They should be receiving the best care promptly.
“Instead, they are often the ones who end up waiting the longest. More than 900 of them may have paid the ultimate price last year for the breakdown in patient flow, and a lack of beds in hospitals.
“Our departments are full. This is in large part because of difficulties in discharging patients at the ‘back door’ of the hospital. Addressing this, instead of focusing on diverting people away from EDs, the ‘front door’ – is the best way to fix long waits.
“To all parties contesting the upcoming Senedd elections: we call on you to act without delay to end overcrowding in EDs.
“As our report today shows, this is a matter of life and death.
“The solutions are clear. Action on patient flow and hospital capacity could save the lives of upwards of 1,000 people each year – but this issue must be made a political priority.
“Failing to act will mean more deaths, and more heartbreak for families of individuals let down by a crumbling Urgent and Emergency Care system.”
In today’s report, we recommend that the next Welsh Government ensure that:
· Excess deaths associated with long Emergency Department waits become a thing of the past by the end of the decade
· Corridor care is eradicated, by ensuring no patients are cared for in EDs in non-designated treatment areas
· There is accountability for ending overcrowding across the Welsh healthcare system and that both political and NHS leaders contribute towards this
· No new NHS policies increase pressure on Emergency Care without prior improvements to hospital flow
· A whole-system approach is adopted for tackling problems in NHS performance
The excess death figure was calculated using the Standard Mortality Ratio (SMR), which suggests that for every 72 patients who experience ED waits of 12 or more hours, there will be one death.
About the Royal College of Emergency Medicine The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is the single authoritative body for Emergency Medicine in the UK.
Emergency Medicine is the medical specialty which provides expert patient care in the NHS Emergency Departments in the UK and other healthcare systems globally.
The Royal College works to ensure high quality care by setting and monitoring standards of care and providing expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to Emergency Medicine. We are responsible for setting standards of training, administering examinations and awarding Fellowship and Membership of the College as well as supporting Resident Doctors in Training to qualify in the specialty of Emergency Medicine.
The Royal College has more than 15,000 members who span all clinical roles in Emergency Medicine including doctors, consultants, advanced care practitioners, physicians associates and other roles in Emergency Departments working in the health services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and across the world.
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