Wiltshire A&E sees rise in 24-hour waits, revealing strain on healthcare system
Chippenham MP calls for urgent action amidst lack of beds and social care
New statistics reveal a significant increase in 24-hour waits faced by patients in Wiltshire's A&E departments, highlighting systemic challenges within the healthcare system. Nearly 3,000 people experienced prolonged waits in 2025 across the hospitals serving Wiltshire residents, with figures released following a national Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats.
At Royal United Hospitals in Bath, 908 patients waited over 24 hours—an increase of 290 from the previous year. Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust reported 466 such waits, quadrupling its 2024 figures. Alarmingly, Great Western Hospitals Trust saw 2,934 patients wait 24 hours or more, almost double the figure from 2024, with the longest recorded wait reaching a staggering 90 hours.
Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson expressed deep concern at the data, attributing the waits to systemic failures:
“These agonising A&E waits tell us that the broader system is broken. NHS staff are doing everything they can, but they are being asked to work within a system that lacks beds, staff, and social care capacity.”
Gibson highlighted that the absence of NHS dentists and difficulty accessing GPs only exacerbate issues by preventing timely interventions, which might avoid emergency situations. A social care crisis complicates discharge efforts for some patients, further straining hospitals.
She urged the public to recognize that frontline healthcare workers are not to blame for this distressing situation:
“A lack of preventative healthcare combined with the social care crisis is why Wiltshire is suffering so much. That is not the fault of frontline workers, but the consequence of sustained mismanagement at the top.”
The revelations call for urgent action to address underlying inadequacies in healthcare provision, from primary care access to social care support, to alleviate the burden on A&E departments and ensure timely care for Wiltshire residents.