Emergency rooms: waiting times have increased sharply over the last ten years

Patients are spending increasingly longer periods in emergency rooms. According to a study published by the Directorate for Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES), the median length of an emergency room visit reached 3 hours and 10 minutes in 2023, compared to 2 hours and 15 minutes ten years earlier. This increase affects all patient profiles, whether they require a simple consultation, further tests, or hospitalization.

For those seen by a doctor without a specific technical examination, half now leave the emergency room in less than 1 hour 35 minutes, twenty minutes longer than in 2013. Patients needing biological tests, medical imaging or specific care see their average stay reach almost four hours.

Even longer delays for hospitalizations

The situation is particularly acute for patients requiring hospitalization. One in two patients now spends at least 6 hours and 30 minutes in the emergency room before being admitted to a bed, 1 hour and 45 minutes longer than ten years ago. For those admitted to a short-stay hospitalization unit (UHCD), the median wait time reaches 17 hours and 30 minutes.

The study also highlights that the volume of patients in hospitals plays a significant role in increasing wait times. In the largest emergency departments, the waiting time is considerably longer than in facilities that treat fewer patients. These findings confirm the persistent pressures on French hospitals, which are facing increased activity and organizational and recruitment challenges.