NHS corridor care now year-round crisis in England, experts say
Corridor care in the NHS is now a year-round crisis, experts have warned, as analysis showed nearly 3 million patients attended A&E over the first two months of the summer.The latest NHS figures in England, analysed by the Liberal Democrats, show that since 2015 the number of people going to A&E in June and July has increased 15% to 2.9 million – the highest level recorded over the past decade.Whereas 12-hour trolley waits were almost nonexistent a decade ago, with just 47 recorded throughout June and July in 2015, in June 2025 38,683 patients, 7.2% of all those attending A&E, had to wait 12 hours or more to be admitted.
In all, 74,150 patients – 1,216 a day – waited at least 12 hours during June and July this year.Some hospitals reported even higher proportions of patients facing long waits.More than a quarter of patients at five NHS trusts had to wait at least 12 hours to be admitted during June and July.They include Epsom and St Helier, where nearly half of trolley waits (42% in June and 45% in July) took 12 hours or more, and Warrington and Halton (48% in June and 30% in July).Helen Morgan, the Lib Dem health and social care spokesperson, said the figures showed the NHS was entering a state of “permacrisis”.
“What was once a winter crisis has become a year-round disaster, with the health service buckling under pressure all year round,” she said.“Every day people are put at risk by long, deadly waits with families watching helplessly as loved ones are left in agony on trolleys in A&E corridors.”The Lib Dems have called for a “winter emergency package” of measures to protect patients and take pressure off A&Es, including increasing vaccine uptake for illnesses such as flu, expanding access to pharmacies and a recruitment drive to increase the number of out-of-hours GPs.“Without this, the pressure on our A&Es will continue to mount and patients’ safety will be put at risk,” Morgan said.Dr Adrian Boyle, the president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the figures highlighted that there was no such thing as a summer respite in the NHS any more.
He said: “If this is the level of demand we are experiencing now, what will winter look like, when we have an annual spike in seasonal illness which heaps further demand on the system?”Boyle said the government’s winter preparedness plan must commit to increasing the number of ward beds available and focus on supporting people to leave hospital when they are well enough to do so,“Only then will we have any hope of ending the shameful scenes of very poorly, often vulnerable, people stranded on trolleys in corridors for long and dangerous periods of time,Scenes which are now sadly commonplace in our EDs whatever the time of year,” he said,Patricia Marquis, the executive director for England at the Royal College of Nursing, said: “An explosion in 12-hour waits is the clearest indicator that corridor care is now a year-round crisis,There has been no respite for understaffed nursing teams during a record summer and they will now be worried about what the coming winter has in store.
“Ministers need to act with urgency before the cold weather arrives and stop patients being placed in corridors, cupboards, waiting rooms and any space hospitals can spare,It is utterly undignified and will never be a safe standard of care,”A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We inherited an emergency care system on its knees, but under this government A&E waits continue to improve despite an overall increase in demand, ensuring patients are being seen sooner,“We have invested nearly £450m to expand urgent and emergency care facilities – delivering more same-day emergency care services, more mental health crisis centres and around 500 new ambulances – so patients get better, faster emergency care,”
‘We are hunting them’ – Breach urges England to be predators not prey against Australia
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Naomi Osaka back in US Open semi-finals for first time since birth of daughter
Naomi Osaka is back to her resilient ways. On Wednesday night she turned back 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova for a 6-4, 7-6 quarter-final victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium in just under two hours’ time. The former world No 1, who is just two years removed from watching the tournament from the stands, now finds herself back in a major semi-final for the first time since giving birth to her daughter, Shai, and well on her way toward reprising her mantle as a women’s tour standard-bearer.The two-time US Open champion enters Thursday’s matchup against Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova as the sentimental favorite. All four times that the Japanese has reached a grand slam quarter-final in her still-young career, she has gone on to win it all
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Anisimova gains revenge for Wimbledon by beating Swiatek to make US Open last four
Amanda Anisimova conjured the performance of her career on Wednesday afternoon in New York, banishing the ghosts of her Wimbledon nightmare with a sensational 6-4, 6-3 quarter-final victory against second-seeded Iga Swiatek in 1hr 36min. Less than eight weeks after she had been double-bagelled by the Polish star in the final at the All England Club, the 24-year-old American struck back with fearless ball-striking and nerveless resolve to reach her first US Open semi-final.Swiatek, a six-time major champion and the 2022 US Open winner, looked intent on reprising the script when she broke immediately to extend her personal run to 13 consecutive games in the rivalry. But the eighth-seeded Anisimova struck back on her third break point, finishing with a thumping forehand overhead that drew a roar from the Arthur Ashe crowd and ensured this would bear no resemblance to the rout in July. “Honestly, when I wasn’t able to hold in that first game, I was really, like, OK, here we go,” Anisimova admitted afterwards
Djokovic unsure if he’ll be fit enough to beat Alcaraz in US Open semi-finals
Novak Djokovic has admitted he is unsure of how physically ready he will be for his US Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz but is determined to do all he can to give himself the best chance against the Spaniard when they face each other on Friday.Djokovic reached the last four late on Tuesday night with a tremendous 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win against the fourth seed Taylor Fritz. Although Djokovic found himself under constant pressure in his service games and at times was outplayed by his American opponent, he showed his peerless mental toughness by saving his best level for the most important moments as he eked out a victory in four sets.The win set up another meeting with Alcaraz, the second seed and French Open champion, who eased into the semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Jiri Lehecka.“It’s not going to get easier
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