A Freedom of Information Request revealed the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA), which also runs Fairfield, Rochdale and Salford hospitals, saw a 25 per cent rise in waiting times across its A&E departments last year.

In 2025, there were 9,608 patients who waited 24 hours or more in A&E at the trust, up from 7,651 the year prior.

The longest time a patient waited at NCA was 146 hours, which equates to 6.1 days.

Councillor Howard Sykes, leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrats, who requested the data, said: “A&E waiting times have spiralled out of control. 

“Patients across Oldham borough are waiting agonisingly long hours in A&E for the care they need. 

“The crisis in our NHS cannot be ignored any longer; it is putting patients at risk.”

Of the 50 trusts that responded to the FOI request across England, Northern Care Alliance had the second-worst waits, with only the University Hospital of Liverpool trust topping it, where 11,148 patients were left waiting 24 hours or more.

The Department for Health and Social Care said that work is underway to lower wait times, but that there is ‘a long way to go’.

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Cllr Sykes called for change, and said: “The government needs to be far bolder if we’re going to save the NHS. 

“Liberal Democrats have a proper plan to end the corridor care crisis, and we want to see an urgent change in the law so the Government can be held accountable if they continue to let long A&E waits spiral. 

“It’s clear we now need to introduce a wait time guarantee to give patients some confidence that NHS trusts can bring this under control.”  

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Nobody should have to wait this long in A&E.

“That’s why we started preparing for winter earlier than ever before – boosting capacity, supporting staff, and strengthening urgent and emergency care services.

“As a result, A&E treatment times have been faster this winter for the majority of people – even as staff faced record demand – but we know there is more to do to cut the longest waits.

“A&E waiting times have been worsening over the last decade.

“We have begun to turn the tide, but there’s a long way to go.”