Rosalind Rowland

Emergency departments are under year-round pressure, driven by high hospital bed occupancy and compounded by increasing attendances and admissions.1 In 2023, 1.5 million people waited 12 hours or more for a bed.2 Long waits are associated with increased mortality and there is a disproportionate impact on people living in more deprived areas.3,4 Addressing this problem begins with unity of purpose and vision, such that we all view emergency department performance as our responsibility, whatever our place in the healthcare system.