Lib Dems set out plan to end 12-hour A&E waits

The Liberal Democrats have unveiled a proposal worth £1.5 billion aimed at granting patients in England a legal right to be seen in Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments within 12 hours. This initiative addresses what they describe as a “deadly corridor crisis,” where patients experience prolonged waits in hospital corridors. Sir Ed Davey, the party leader, emphasized the need for a legal obligation to ensure patients are admitted, transferred, or discharged within this 12-hour timeframe.

Funding for the plan is expected to come from cancelling a UK-US pharmaceutical agreement, which the Lib Dems argue would result in the NHS paying significantly more for medications. This deal, reached last year, allows American imports of UK medicines to remain tariff-free for three years but requires the NHS to increase its spending limits on new treatments by 25%. The Department of Health and Social Care has estimated that the agreement could raise medicine costs by £1.5 billion over the next three years.

Recent data highlight the urgency of the issue. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients waiting over 12 hours in A&E after being admitted has surged. Latest figures from November show over 50,000 people faced waits exceeding 12 hours following a decision to admit them. Furthermore, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine reported an estimated 16,644 excess deaths in 2024 linked to these long waits. Sir Ed condemned this crisis, stating, “This deadly corridor crisis isn’t befitting of the heroic doctors, nurses and other health professionals who work in our NHS.” He also stressed that taxpaying citizens deserve better care and shorter wait times.

The Lib Dems say their plans would make an additional 6,000 hospital beds available daily by expanding hospital capacity and increasing social care resources for patients awaiting long-term care decisions. The proposal also includes reserving more spots in care homes and supporting funding for people being discharged and their caregivers. Sir Ed expressed confidence that this package “could put an end to 12-hour A&E waits altogether, by the end of the year,” adding, “Never again should anyone have to watch their loved one die on a trolley in a hospital corridor.” When asked whether the plans were ambitious enough, he highlighted the party’s vision to reduce waits to under four hours if elected to government.

Meanwhile, the Labour government continues to prioritize NHS recovery from the pandemic, focusing largely on reducing record backlogs for non-urgent treatments. Their 2024 election manifesto committed to meeting NHS performance standards and decreasing waiting lists, which still remain elevated at approximately 7.4 million people as of late 2025. On the subject of A&E care, the government pledged over £450 million last year to expand urgent and emergency services. Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged challenges persist, saying that even during the NHS’s “best days,” some patients were still treated on trolleys in corridors under less-than-ideal conditions. He emphasized a balanced approach, striving to celebrate progress without ignoring ongoing difficulties.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care also condemned corridor care, labeling it unacceptable. They pointed to efforts such as delivering 500,000 more vaccinations year-on-year, creating same-day emergency and mental health crisis centers, and introducing 500 new ambulances. They also defended the medicine pricing deal, saying it supports patients and boosts the life sciences sector without cutting frontline funding. The Conservative Party, which governed during the pandemic, was contacted for comment but did not respond

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