The government has been called on to bring long waits in emergency departments under control, with campaigners saying it is a rot eating away at the heart of the NHS.
Age UK's appeal comes as it publishes a report detailing “heartbreaking” stories of the suffering of older people spending hours in corridors and side rooms.
It highlights cases of people being left in their own excrement, receiving blood transfusions and even dying in these makeshift treatment areas.
And it says older people are far more likely to face long waits, with data showing that one in three people over 90 visiting an emergency department in England last year faced a wait of 12 hours or more.
The government said the situation was unacceptable but added it was taking action.
A report from Age UK said that while 12-hour waits were once virtually unheard of, they are now the norm in many places.
It highlighted the case of an 86-year-old man who was left in an abandoned hallway for 36 hours.
Another man, soiled himself, was left in his own excrement for 20 hours, while others suffered the indignity of having to use bowls in the corridors.
Susan, 79, from south London, is one of those who had to wait a long time, according to an Age UK report.
After she was hospitalized with a heart attack, she said it took her 22 hours to find a bed.
She spent most of the wait on a sofa in a curtained room next to the emergency department, where there was no privacy. She thinks she heard two people dying on couches nearby.
Regarding one of the deaths, she said: “I was next to a man who was clearly unwell. He was alone for a while, then his wife was brought in. They were whispering to each other as they had little privacy. Then, after a long silence, she was taken away, crying. I'm sure he died. And he died right next to me.”
The report cited data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act for NHS England which showed there were more than 1.7 million 12-hour waits in major hospitals in 2024-25 – around one in 10 of those attending emergency departments.
Two thirds of them were experienced by people over 60 years of age.
The report says long waits are not only terrible, but also risky.
Age UK director Caroline Abrahams said it was a “crisis hiding in plain sight” and that the government must take immediate action.
“No one should have to spend their last days in a hospital corridor where staff cannot provide good, compassionate care.
“As winter approaches, we fear that an already difficult situation will worsen.
“Long waits are like a rot eating away at the heart of the NHS, eroding public trust.”
Age UK said the root cause of the problem is a lack of available community support, meaning hospitals are unable to discharge patients who are medically likely to leave their wards. This leads to a shortage of beds for new patients.
He called for renewed efforts and commitment to solve the problem.
RCN general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said the problems were a “moral stain” on the health service.
“No elderly or vulnerable person should be forced to endure these conditions.
“Overburdened and understaffed nursing teams work hard every day to provide the best possible care, but they face an impossible task.”
Health Minister Karin Smith said: “No one should receive help in the corridor – it is unacceptable, it is undignified and we are determined to stop it.”
She said the Government was investing more money into the NHS and detailed data on corridor care would soon be published to hold the system to account.
“The way to solve a problem is to be honest about it,” she added.
