The Welsh Government must set out how it is going to tackle the overcrowding crisis in our Emergency Departments – as what was formerly a winter crisis has become a year-round problem.

That's the main message from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, following the publication of NHS Wales' latest data on ED performance, covering June 2026.

Last month saw some of the worst waiting times for ED patients since records began.

Around one in six (17%, or 11,813) patients attending a major (Type-1) ED in Wales in June 2026 waited more than 12 hours to be discharged, admitted or transferred – the worst June on record, and comparable to the depths of this winter.

Today's dire picture comes despite the number of people attending ED actually falling compared to May 2026, and remaining largely stable over the last decade.

Dr Rob Perry, RCEM Vice President Wales, said: "The state of our Emergency Departments right now is nothing short of shameful.

"We're now in a situation where the majority of our patients are waiting more than four hours to pass through our department, and many are waiting more than half a day.

"This is an unacceptable state of affairs, and some of the worst waiting times since records began.

"I must be clear: no patient should wait 12 hours on a trolley, or a chair, in an overcrowded ED. Long waits like this are not only stressful and undignified, they are dangerous and put lives at risk.

"Worse still, these are milestones which we are passing in summer. We aren't even battling with flu or cold weather – but the wheels are coming off the bus anyway."

Meanwhile, less than half (49%) of patients passed through the ED within four hours, the lowest ever – and far below the 95% NHS constitutional standard.

Dr Perry said: "This is a fixable problem and we know what the causes are. Delayed discharges, and the accompanying lack of available beds in wards, are a serious problem - not the number of people arriving at our doors.

"Exit block makes it impossible for us to move patients in need of admission out of the ED. This complete breakdown in patient flow is causing untold misery for ED patients.

"The new Welsh Government has signalled that it understands the need to reduce long waits and overcrowding, and we are pleased that it is engaging with RCEM on this issue.

"I hope, for our patients' sake, that these words become action soon. As today's figures show, the problem is only going to get worse without the proper interventions."