The latest NHS England data has revealed that the number of patients facing corridor care for more than 12 hours at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) A&Es has increased by 50 per cent since July.
In October, 949 patients waited more than 12 hours to be admitted once arriving at the emergency departments at Queen’s Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Goodmayes.
This is up from 612 patients in July, and marks a steady increase over the past few months: August saw 677 patients waiting more than 12 hours and September saw 772.
Overall, there were 8,904 emergency admissions across BHRUT last month, with 31,072 people attending A&E in total.
BHRUT chief executive Matthew Trainer said this was the “busiest October ever” for the trust and apologised to patients for the long waits and corridor care as a result.
He told this paper: “We have had our busiest October ever, with more than 31,000 people coming to A&E – 50 people a day more than this time last year.
“Our hospitals have struggled to cope with the demand.
“I know our patients and staff have had to put up with long waits, crowding and corridor care, and I am sorry about this.”
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The number of patients facing a 12-hour wait or longer in the corridor at the trust’s emergency departments has risen by 26 per cent since this time last year.
The trust faced what Mr Trainer described as a “particularly bad winter” in 2024 – with a spike in January A&E attendances resulting in 1,064 patients waiting more than 12 hours to be admitted.
These previous record numbers sparked an ongoing campaign to transform the Queen’s Hospital emergency department by securing £35 million in government funding.
