Senior UK health official warns of ‘unsafe and undignified’ care caused by A&E delays

December set to be worst month on record for waiting times at accident and emergency departments

The deaths of an estimated 500 people each week caused by delays in emergency care is “not a short-term thing”, a senior UK health official has said.

Ian Higginson, the vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine warned about attempts to “discredit” figures estimating that as many as 500 people are dying each week because of the delays.