NHS faces ‘perfect storm’ this winter as doctors warn two-thirds of A&E’s are ‘unsafe’ and call for immediate action to ‘avert disaster’

Emergency medicine leaders warn that England’s emergency departments face a dangerous winter, with overcrowding, corridor care and high demand leaving many unable to cope. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine says current preparations are inadequate and calls for immediate action to reduce the risk to patients.

In a survey of 163 doctors leading A&Es, 91 per cent were very or extremely concerned about winter pressures, while only 3 per cent said their department was well prepared. Sixty per cent described their department as actively unsafe, and the college said hospitals had nearly 1,000 fewer beds than a year earlier. In England, an average of 3,310 patients received corridor care each day in September, while 50,582 waited over 12 hours for admission after a decision to admit.