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NHS · Patient flow · England · September 2026

Why can’t hospitals move patients through?

Delayed discharge is one source of pressure. On an average day in September 2026 about 13,647 patients who no longer needed to be in hospital were still there — around 13 in every 100 general and acute beds. This can constrain admissions through A&E. Separately, 50,582 people waited over 12 hours for a bed after a decision to admit in September 2026. The series do not quantify how much delay is caused by discharge problems.

Evidence last reviewed 3 October 2026

The back door: patients ready to leave

How many patients are stuck in hospital?

About 13,647 patients a day are in hospital who no longer need to be

Average daily number of patients in acute hospitals who no longer meet the criteria to reside but remain in hospital, England, monthly average of daily counts.

England · April 2021 to September 2026

1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.

Thousands of patients a dayNo observations shown0k5k10k15k20k20002010202013.6k
The number has hovered between about 12,000 and 14,000 since 2022, higher in winter, with no clear downward trend. Bed occupancy in general and acute wards was 90.9% in the quarter to June 2026. Each delayed patient occupies a bed that someone in A&E is waiting for — which is why discharge, and the social care behind it, sits at the centre of the flow problem.

England · April 2021 to September 2026 · Management information (unvalidated), averaged by UK Facts

Sources, definitions and data — About 13,647 patients a day are in hospital who no longer need to be
Geography:
England
Measure:
Patients (daily average)
Period:
April 2021 to September 2026
Status:
Management information (unvalidated), averaged by UK Facts
Calculation:
UK Facts calculation: monthly average of NHS England’s published daily counts.
Compare with:
103,338 general and acute beds available (June 2026 quarter)
Not included / breaks:
Not every delay is about social care: some patients wait for NHS community services, assessments or transport. June 2022 averages 29 days because one day is missing.

Source: NHS England, Discharge delays (acute) — daily discharge situation report. Chart NHS-08.

View the data as a table
MonthPatients a day
Aug 20219,079
Jan 202212,201
Aug 202213,416
Jan 202313,965
Aug 202311,913
Jan 202413,709
Aug 202412,097
Jan 202513,688
Aug 202512,535
Jan 202613,823
Aug 202613,833
Sep 202613,647

The front door: A&E and ambulances

How many people wait 12 hours for a bed?

12-hour waits for a bed were rare before 2020; now they run at tens of thousands a month

Patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E from a decision to admit to admission, England, monthly.

England · August 2010 to September 2026

1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.

Thousands of patients a monthNo observations shown0k20k40k60k80k20002010202050.6k
Until 2020 these waits numbered hundreds or a few thousand a month, even in winter. They rose through 2022 and peaked at 71,517 in January 2026. Winter peaks remain far higher than any year before the pandemic. A 12-hour wait on a trolley is linked to worse outcomes for patients, and it happens mainly because there is no free bed on the ward.

England · August 2010 to September 2026 · Official statistics

Sources, definitions and data — 12-hour waits for a bed were rare before 2020; now they run at tens of thousands a month
Geography:
England
Measure:
Patients a month
Period:
August 2010 to September 2026
Status:
Official statistics
Calculation:
As published.
Compare with:
January 2019: 627
Not included / breaks:
The clock starts only when doctors decide to admit, so this understates time in A&E. Measured from arrival, 157,574 patients spent over 12 hours in type 1 and 2 departments in September 2026 (official statistics in development).

Source: NHS England, A&E attendances and emergency admissions, monthly time series. Chart NHS-06.

View the data as a table
MonthPatients
Jan 201117
Jan 20128
Jan 201350
Jan 201442
Jan 2015650
Jan 2016158
Jan 2017989
Jan 20181,054
Jan 2019627
Jan 20202,847
Jan 20213,825
Jan 202216,564
Jan 202342,767
Jan 202454,312
Jan 202561,529
Jan 202671,517
Sep 202650,582

How long does an ambulance take for a heart attack or stroke?

Category 2 ambulances take 31 minutes on average, against an 18-minute standard

Mean response time for Category 2 calls (emergencies such as suspected heart attacks and strokes), England, monthly, minutes.

England · August 2017 to September 2026

1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.

MinutesNo observations shown05010015020002010202018-minute standard31.3
Category 2 responses were nearer the standard in summer 2019 (21 minutes in August). They peaked at 93 minutes in December 2022, when crews waited hours outside full A&E departments to hand patients over. Response times have improved since but still rise every winter. Delays handing patients over at full hospitals are a major cause, not only the number of ambulances.

England · August 2017 to September 2026 · Official statistics

Sources, definitions and data — Category 2 ambulances take 31 minutes on average, against an 18-minute standard
Geography:
England
Measure:
Minutes
Period:
August 2017 to September 2026
Status:
Official statistics
Calculation:
Published in seconds; converted to minutes.
Compare with:
18-minute standard; NHS England target to reach it on average by 2028/29
Not included / breaks:
Response categories were introduced in August 2017, so the series starts then.

Source: NHS England, Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS). Chart NHS-07.

View the data as a table
MonthMinutes
Aug 201723.9
Dec 201729.6
Aug 201820.6
Dec 201822.4
Aug 201921.3
Dec 201927.9
Aug 202020.1
Dec 202027.9
Aug 202138.6
Dec 202153.4
Aug 202242.6
Dec 202292.9
Aug 202331.5
Dec 202346.0
Aug 202427.4
Dec 202447.4
Aug 202527.0
Dec 202532.7
Aug 202628.9

A&E: share seen within four hours, all types, monthly, against the 95% standard

Same source as NHS-02. Major (type 1) departments: 60.6% in September 2026. Target: 82% for every trust by March 2027, 85% nationally in 2028/29.

1996–2026 displayed window · observations only. Shading marks years outside the displayed record.

Per cent of attendancesNo observations shown0%50%100%20002010202095% standard74.4%

How the pieces connect

Hospitals run with general and acute beds about 91% full. At that level there is little slack: when patients who are ready to leave cannot be discharged, patients needing admission wait in A&E, A&E cannot take handovers from ambulances, and ambulances cannot reach the next call. Planned operations are cancelled when their beds are needed for emergencies, which feeds the waiting list.

More A&E staff alone cannot fix a problem that starts on the wards. The evidence points to beds, discharge processes in hospitals, and capacity in community and social care — see social care and prevention and the options in What would move the needle?

Sources and methods (4)

Method notes

  • Discharge delays are unvalidated daily management information; monthly figures are UK Facts averages of the daily counts.
  • Bed figures are quarterly averages of beds available and occupied overnight.