A Bill to place a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that patients spend no longer than 12 hours between arriving at the accident and emergency department of a hospital and being admitted to hospital, transferred for care elsewhere or discharged; to require the Secretary of State to publish proposals for measures to eliminate the provision of accident and emergency care services in corridors and other spaces not intended for the provision of such services; and for connected purposes.
This bill would place a legal duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that patients spend no more than 12 hours in an accident and emergency department from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge. It also requires the Secretary of State to publish proposals to stop A&E care being provided in corridors or other spaces not designed for treatment. In short, it aims to speed up emergency care and improve the use of A&E spaces.
The bill is at its 2nd reading in the House of Commons. If it progresses, it would move on to committee stage for detailed discussion.
Generated 21 February 2026
The next stage for this Bill, Second reading, is scheduled to take place on Friday 29 May 2026 although the House of Commons is not expected to be sitting on that date.
This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented to Parliament on Wednesday 14 January 2026.
No recorded votes for this bill yet.