Birmingham Hospital A&E Wait Times Increase Amid Winter Pressures
Patients across Birmingham hospitals are experiencing significantly longer waiting times in emergency departments as demand pressures continue to impact A&E services. New figures reveal that the target of seeing patients within 15 minutes has deteriorated, with average wait times increasing substantially during the winter months.
Performance Targets Deteriorate
Data to be presented to the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust board shows that in January 2026, the trust's performance against the crucial 15-minute target declined compared to December. The report indicates that 4-hour performance fell to 59 percent in January, representing a 1.7 percent reduction from the previous month and falling short of the 63.2 percent target set for that period.
Specific hospital performance varied significantly: Heartlands Hospital saw a 2.9 percent drop in 4-hour compliance, while Queen Elizabeth Hospital experienced a more substantial 4.6 percent decline. In contrast, Good Hope Hospital improved by 2.7 percent and Solihull Hospital showed a 0.8 percent increase compared to December.
Significant Time Increases Documented
The average time patients spent in emergency departments increased dramatically in January 2026. Overall, patients spent an average of 407 minutes in A&E, compared to just 343 minutes in December 2025 and 373 minutes in January 2025. This represents a substantial 64-minute increase from the previous month and a 34-minute increase from the same period last year.
The breakdown reveals even more concerning figures for specific patient categories:
- Admitted patients spent an average of 802 minutes receiving treatment, up from 633 minutes in December
- Non-admitted patients spent 252 minutes in emergency departments, increasing from 224 minutes the previous month
Trust Under National Scrutiny
The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust currently operates under tier 1 oversight, the highest level of scrutiny within NHS England's urgent and emergency care program. This classification reflects the significant challenges the trust faces in meeting national performance standards.
The trust has outlined ambitious targets for improvement, including increasing 4-hour performance to 71 percent by March 2026, reducing average ambulance handover times to 42 minutes, and decreasing the proportion of patients spending longer than 12 hours in emergency departments compared to 2024-25 levels.
Winter Pressures Take Their Toll
The report explicitly links the deteriorating performance to winter pressures, noting that urgent and emergency care services experienced significant levels of pressure across all hospital sites. High patient volumes in inpatient areas and emergency departments resulted in extended waits not only within hospital settings but also in the community for those requiring emergency ambulance services.
Total emergency department attendances increased by 5.7 percent in January 2026 compared to January 2025, further compounding the challenges faced by healthcare staff. The trust's board will discuss these issues and potential solutions during their meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2026.
