Royal College of Emergency Medicine

Quote from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine's Vice President for Scotland: "Almost 900 people may have paid the ultimate price for this complete breakdown in hospital flow"

Our response to new figures, published today, which suggest that 871 excess deaths in Scottish Emergency Departments were associated with long waits for admission:

rcem.ac.uk/press-rel...

Quote from Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine: "We need a credible, long-term plan to bring down bed occupancy"

The crisis in English Emergency Departments is fixable, if government and health service leaders are willing to act on bed capacity in our hospitals.

Read our full response below to the latest stats on winter pressures in English A&Es:
rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

NHS England corridor care definition interesting but meaningful change must follow - RCEM 04/03/2026 - A unified definition on corridor care is an interesting approach – but only if meaningful action follows.

An interesting approach, but one which must precede meaningful action on tackling corridor care and overcrowding in our hospitals.

Read our response to a new unified definition on corridor care, published by NHS England today, here:
rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

Scottish A&E 12-hour waits hit ‘grim milestone’ of 10,000 in worst month on record   - RCEM 03/03/2026 - Emergency Departments (EDs) in Scotland are in dire need of attention by whoever forms the next government in May, as unwanted records for four, eight and 12-hour waits continue to be set...

The number of Emergency Department patients in Scotland waiting 12 or more hours to be admitted, discharged or transferred has exceeded 10,000 in a single month for the first time.

EDs are in dire need of attention by whoever forms the next government in May. More below.

rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

Ramadan in the ED - RCEMLearning This blog is about how to support colleagues who may be fasting, not putting your foot in it and clinical issues.

www.rcemlearning.co.uk/foamed/ramad...

@rcem.ac.uk @rcemlearning.bsky.social #MedSky #FOAMed

Check out some highlights from the #EMTA2026 conference! Thank you to our delegates and speakers who attended the two-day event in York. We look forward to seeing you next year.

Congratulations to Rebecca McMillan for her outstanding oral presentation and Rashid Abdulla Mohamed for their impressive poster at #emta26. Both achieved the highest scores across four categories out of all submissions.

Thank you to everyone who presented and shared their work, a great collection

In the press today: RCEM Vice President for Northern Ireland Dr Michael Perry outlines the dire situation in Northern Irish EDs, and pushes back on the common sentiment that "it's the same everywhere".

The full piece, in Public Sector Focus, can be found below.
flickread.com/editio...

Delayed discharges put patients in danger, latest statistics show - RCEM The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is calling for action after new weekly performance figures for England released today show an increase in patients remaining in hospital despite being me...

RCEM is calling for action after new weekly performance figures for England released today show an increase in patients remaining in hospital despite being medically fit to leave – plus considerable time being lost due to ambulance handover delays.

Find out more here: rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

We express our gratitude to #emta26 event planning committee; Rob Hirst, Josephine Darke-Mo, Diana Kluczna, Chris Wheeler, Rebecca Yates, Diana Jackson (not pictured here), for their tireless efforts in making this event a success.

Special mention to Flo and Chelsea from our events team!

Here at #emta26, Dr Stephen Wiltshire delivered a fascinating talk on the management of poisoning from both common and more unusual toxins. Deepen your knowledge on this important topic with our on-demand clinical toxicology study day, available to watch anytime, anywhere.

rcem.ac.uk/on-demand...

RCEM President, Dr Ian Higginson, has kicked off the jam-packed agenda on day two of the EMTA Conference 2026. This morning, his presentation focuses on the future of EM and why it matters.

Are you joining us today? Find out more about the programme here: rcem.ac.uk/wp-conten...

Reasonable adjustments: required by law (Eq Act ‘10) so autistic people & people with learning disability can access same standard of emergency care as anyone else.

Hear from expert speakers, inc clinicians & people with lived experience @rcem.ac.uk online May 19

rcem.ac.uk/virtual-even...

08:30 - 08:55 Join the virtual meeting space 08:55 - 09:00 Introduction to the day Dr Liz Herrieven and Dr Lizzie Binham, Sheffield Children’s Hospital 09:00 - 09:30 Are we making progress on health inequalities for people living with learning disabilities? Prof. Andrew Lee, ScHARR, University of Sheffield 09:30 - 10:00 How to perform an excellent acute assessment for adults with a learning disability in 5 easy steps Dr Charly Annesley, learning disability physician at North Middlesex University Hospital 10:00 - 10:30 Postural Care in Emergency Departments and Acute Hospitals: Principles and Practical Con- siderations Ms Sarah Clayton, Simple Stuff Works 10:30 - 10:40 Panel Q&A 10:40 - 10:55 Refreshment break 10:55 - 11:25 Humanity and healthcare Mr Stephen Unwin, theatre director and author of Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong 11:25 - 11:55 We deserve better - health inequalities and ethnic minoritised communities Ms Ramandeep Kaur, learning disability campaigner and parent activist 11:55 - 12:25 Complex disabilities and the ED: Little Things that make a Big Difference to families Ms Rachel Wright, Born At The Right Time 12:25 - 12:35 Panel Q&A 12:35 - 13:20 Lunch 13:20 - 13:40 Lived experience of ED visits - learning from Sam and Gavin Mr Gavin Howcroft and Mr Sam Prowse, Hertfordshire County Council 13:40 - 14:10 Considering sensory needs when delivering Urgent and Emergency Care Ms Jess Howe, registered occupational therapist, and learning disability and autism lead at London Ambulance Service 14:10 - 14:40 Individualised care - examples of reasonable adjustments from a sedation pathway Dr Alice Munro, Newham University Hospital 14:40 - 14:50 Panel Q&A 14:50 - 15:05 Refreshment break 15:05 - 15:35 Autism, what it is, how to tell if your patient has it and why it matters in the ED Dr Sam Porter, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust 15:35 - 16:05 Disabled, difficult or different? Dr Kirsty Challen, Lancashire Teaching Hospital…

How’s this for a programme?Relevant facts, clinical tips, essential info, patient & family experiences, thought-provoking topics & a whole host of expert speakers. Come & join us online on May 19th rcem.ac.uk/virtual-even...
@rcem.ac.uk
@rcemevents.bsky.social
@rcemlearning.bsky.social
@rcn.org.uk

A thought-provoking session on Mental Health in EDs at #EMTA26 today. If mental health is a topic you’re passionate about, you may be interested in our ‘healer, heal thyself’ study day: rcem.ac.uk/face-to-f...

Welcome to all our delegates who are arriving in York for the EMTA 2026 conference!

This year’s theme: EM Evolution.

EM is never static. From the first breath to the final moments, we adapt, innovate and evolve with our patients’ needs.

We look forward to diving into the lifespan of EM!

We are thrilled to announce the 11 EDs across England and Wales that have been awarded an accreditation through RCEM’s GreenED programme! Congratulations to every team behind each award.

Read more here: rcem.ac.uk/press-rel...

Dr Jason Long, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “The chaos continues - and the consequences of the government’s failure to prepare for winter are borne out once more.”

Government and health service leaders must pay attention to the chaos inside Emergency Departments this winter, which are buckling under the pressure because of a failure to prepare for predictable surges in seasonal illnesses.

Our full response to today's UEC stats:
rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

A graph showing the increase in patient waiting times in Wales in January.

We are today calling for action after new performance figures for Wales in January show Emergency Departments had their worst month on record.

Find out more here: rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

‘The wheels have come off’: predictably busy January exposes ‘fragile’ NHS system as A&Es swamped with patients needing beds, says Royal College of Emergency Medicine  - RCEM 12/02/2026 - A predictable spike in demand for Emergency Departments in January has exposed the fragility of the entire hospital system, and reinforced the critical need for a long-term and sustainabl...

Read the full response here: rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

Quote from Dr Ian Higginson, RCEM President, who said: “All of last year we demanded action to ensure our hospital system is ready for when demand for EDs would spike. “This did not happen, we found ourselves in a particularly busy winter and now the wheels have come off."

A predictable spike in demand for Emergency Departments in January has exposed the fragility of the entire hospital system, and reinforced the critical need for a long-term and sustainable plan for tackling the A&E crisis.

Our full analysis of NHSE's new data is below.

RCEM publishes new guidance on Extended Emergency Medicine Ambulatory Care (EEMAC)  - RCEM 10/02/2026 - New guidelines on Extended Emergency Medicine Ambulatory Care (EEMAC) have been published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Our new guidance on Extended Emergency Medicine Ambulatory Care (EEMAC) has now been published.

This follows the release of NHS England's own documents on the same topic.

NHSE’s Model ED offers a blueprint, but is unlikely to meaningfully reduce overcrowding: RCEM  - RCEM 09/02/2026 - A publication which outlines key components of an Emergency Department will have some utility but is unlikely to have ‘meaningful impact’ on reducing overcrowding and the associated corri...

A publication which outlines key components of an Emergency Department will have some utility but is unlikely to have ‘meaningful impact’ on reducing overcrowding and the associated corridor care in departments.

Our response to NHS England's new 'Model ED' document:

RCEM urges action as long hospital stays reach worst levels this winter  - RCEM 05/02/2026 - The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has reiterated its calls for meaningful long-term action as data released today by NHS England show some of the worst weekly records seen so...

We have our calls for meaningful long-term action, after data released today by NHS England shows some of the worst weekly records seen so far this winter.

Our full response can be found below.

Why Emergency Medicine Should Begin at Zero Point “Emergency Medicine teaches us to run many surveys, yet I’ve come to realise that the most important one takes place before any clinical work begins” Dr Naazia Siddiqua, Senior Resident, Emergency Medicine, AIIMS New Delhi

How do we have conversations about mental health in a stressful environment like the emergency department (ED)? Have conversations that aren't always easy.

Dr Siddiqua shares how to shift the focus to your team's wellbeing and tells us it's #TimeToTalk

rcem.ac.uk/blog/why-...

Quote from Dr Michael Perry, RCEM Northern Ireland Vice President: "The situation is still utterly appalling. Patients who come to us at their absolute worst should not worry about facing a wait which can be measured in days. It's just not acceptable."

Slight improvements to waits in Northern Ireland’s A&Es are encouraging, but things still bleak.

- 1 in 5 patients waited 12 or more hours to be discharged, admitted or transferred
- 584 people waited more than TWO DAYS for admission in December

Full analysis here: rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

RCEM welcomes slight improvement in Scottish Emergency Department performance figures, but warns against complacency - RCEM 3/2/2026 - RCEM has welcomed the uptick in performance figures for EDs in Scotland in for December 2025, but cautioned that there were still major improvements to be made.

RCEM VP Dr Fiona Hunter talks today about the latest Scottish Emergency Department figures. Read our full release and find out more here:
rcem.ac.uk/press-releas...

Interview with Dr Elizabeth Herrieven: Insights on Caring for Patients with Learning Disabilities, Autism, and Complex Needs in the ED - RCEM Explore our exclusive interview with Dr Elizabeth Herrieven, the lead behind our popular study day: Caring for Patients with Learning Disabilities, Autism, and Complex Needs in the ED. The full study ...

A blog about me (not by me!) and the fab RCEM learning disability, autism and complex needs study day. Bookings open now for the NEW version! New speakers, new sessions - this may be the best year yet!

rcem.ac.uk/blog/intervi...

RCEM appoints new South East Regional Chair   - RCEM 02/02/26 - The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is pleased to confirm the appointment of a new Chair for the South East of England Regional Board.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine is pleased to confirm the appointment of a new Chair for the South East of England Regional Board.

Full announcement below

⏰ Last chance! Get 10% off our on‑demand study days — offer ends tonight at 23:59!

Make 2026 your year of learning and development with our growing collection of 20 on‑demand events, ready to watch anytime.

Use code LEARNING10 at checkout: rcem.ac.uk/on-demand...