Gloucestershire A&E Has Its Busiest September in at Least Five Years as 12-Hour Waits Rise 62%
How busy Gloucestershire's A&E departments were in September 2026, and how long patients waited for a bed, from NHS England's monthly figures.
By Mat Benfield · Published 2026-10-09
Gloucestershire's A&E departments saw 14,773 attendances in September 2026, the most for any September in at least five years, and 454 patients waited more than 12 hours for a bed, up 62% on last September.
Source: NHS England A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions.
Cheltenham Open Data analysed NHS England’s monthly figures for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the emergency departments at Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal hospitals. The September figures came out on 8 October, the day NHS England reported the busiest September on record for A&E across England, with 2.44 million attendances. Its national medical director, Professor Frankie Swords, warned of “ominous early signs of pressure” ahead of winter. Monthly figures for the trust are on the Cheltenham A&E waiting times page.
Key Figures
- 14,773 A&E attendances in September 2026, up 5% on September 2025 and the most for any September since at least 2021.
- 454 patients waited more than 12 hours for a bed after the decision to admit them, up 62% on 281 last September.
- 61.8% were seen within four hours, down from 62.8% last September and far below the NHS standard of 95%.
- 197 to 454: 12-hour waits have more than doubled in two months, from July’s three-year low.
- 543 12-hour waits in January 2026, down from 974 in January 2024.
Busier Than Any Recent September
More people came to Gloucestershire’s emergency departments than in any September since at least 2021. Of every month in the past three years, only July 2026 was busier, with 15,056 attendances.
| September | Attendances | Seen within 4 hours | 12-hour waits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,367 | 60.0% | 15 |
| 2022 | 11,868 | 58.1% | 642 |
| 2023 | 12,805 | 58.5% | 712 |
| 2024 | 12,548 | 61.2% | 407 |
| 2025 | 14,045 | 62.8% | 281 |
| 2026 | 14,773 | 61.8% | 454 |
Data from NHS England, A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Last updated 2026-10-09.
Long Waits Are Rising Again
The longest waits fell over the summer. In July 2026, 197 patients waited more than 12 hours for a bed after the decision to admit them, the lowest month in the past three years. That rose to 333 in August and 454 in September, though still below every month from February to June, when there were between 472 and 539.
The longer trend is still better than two winters ago. Last January, 543 patients waited more than 12 hours, against 974 in January 2024. Whether this winter stays below that depends on the months ahead: October’s figures are due on 12 November 2026.
Emergency admissions through the trust’s A&E departments were slightly lower than last September, at 5,446 against 5,601, so the rise in long waits is not simply down to more patients being admitted.
Notes to Editors
- Method: Figures are for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, all A&E types. Comparisons use the same month in each year, because A&E demand and waits are strongly seasonal.
- Sources: NHS England, A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions monthly statistics, including the September files for 2021 to 2025. National figures are from NHS England’s release of 8 October 2026.
- Caveats: A 12-hour wait from decision to admit is counted from when a doctor decides a patient needs a bed, not from arrival, so some patients spend longer in A&E in total. Earlier September files are published in a different format and are not included, so “at least five years” means since 2021.
- Data and updates: The A&E page updates when NHS England publishes new figures, usually on the second Thursday of each month. For questions or interviews, use the contact page.
Cite This
Please credit Cheltenham Open Data and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Cheltenham Open Data (2026). Gloucestershire A&E Has Its Busiest September in at Least Five Years as 12-Hour Waits Rise 62%. Published 2026-10-09. https://cheltenham-od.uk/news/gloucestershire-ae-busiest-september. Data: NHS England A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.To embed the chart on your own site, copy this code:
<a href="https://cheltenham-od.uk/news/gloucestershire-ae-busiest-september"><img src="https://cheltenham-od.uk/assets/findings/gloucestershire-ae-12-hour-waits.svg" alt="Bar chart of monthly 12-hour waits from decision to admit at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, October 2023 to September 2026, with each September highlighted: 407 in 2024, 281 in 2025 and 454 in 2026. The highest month is January 2024, with 974." width="640"></a>The chart and data are free to reuse with credit. The underlying data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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FAQs
How Busy Was Gloucestershire’s A&E in September 2026?
- Gloucestershire Hospitals’ emergency departments had 14,773 attendances in September 2026, the most for any September since at least 2021, and 61.8% of patients were seen within four hours.
What Is a 12-Hour Wait from Decision to Admit?
- It counts patients who waited more than 12 hours for a hospital bed after a doctor decided they needed to be admitted. The time already spent in A&E before that decision is not included.
Does Cheltenham General Have an A&E?
- Yes. Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal hospitals both have emergency departments run by Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Check the trust’s site for current opening hours before you travel.
When Are the Next Figures Published?
- NHS England publishes October’s figures on 12 November 2026. The A&E waiting times page updates when they are released.
Can I Use This Chart?
- Yes. Credit Cheltenham Open Data and link to this page. The embed code and a CSV of the figures are in the Cite This section above.