The scale of deaths linked to long A&E waits last year should send shockwaves through the entire political system in Wales, and whoever forms the next Welsh Government must commit to ending the link between long waits and deaths by 2030.

This call comes from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), as it reveals that an estimated 965 deaths in Wales in 2025 were associated with waits of 12 or more hours Emergency Departments before admission into a hospital bed.

That’s an average of 18 people per week dying due to long waits in ED.

Worse still, new analysis shows an increase of 29 deaths compared to 2024.

These findings are published in RCEM’s State of Emergency Medicine in Wales report, which sets out the true scale of the crisis patients and staff face in Welsh EDs.

This new report also outlines how the long waits, high bed occupancy and deaths associated with them can be curbed.

We are calling on all political parties to commit to bringing the excess death figure associated with long waits in ED to zero by the end of the decade.

Dr Rob Perry, RCEM Vice President for Wales, said of the findings: “Any number of avoidable deaths in Emergency Departments is a tragedy - that there were almost a thousand last year should send shockwaves through the entire political system.

“My heart goes out to the loved ones of any person who died following long waits in EDs.

“These may have been our most vulnerable patients – those who have been deemed sick or injured enough to require admission. They should be receiving the best care promptly.

“Instead, they are often the ones who end up waiting the longest. More than 900 of them may have paid the ultimate price last year for the breakdown in patient flow, and a lack of beds in hospitals.

“Our departments are full. This is in large part because of difficulties in discharging patients at the ‘back door’ of the hospital. Addressing this, instead of focusing on diverting people away from EDs, the ‘front door’ - is the best way to fix long waits.

“To all parties contesting the upcoming Senedd elections: we call on you to act without delay to end overcrowding in EDs.

“As our report shows, this is a matter of life and death.

"The solutions are clear. Action on patient flow and hospital capacity could save the lives of upwards of 1,000 people each year – but this issue must be made a political priority.

“Failing to act will mean more deaths, and more heartbreak for families of individuals let down by a crumbling Urgent and Emergency Care system.”

The report recommends that the next Welsh Government ensure that: