The number of patients in England walking out of hospital Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments without receiving treatment has tripled in just six years, a damning new analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reveals.

This crisis in the UK's celebrated National Health Service (NHS), driven by soaring demand and long waits, serves as a stark warning for Kenya. Public hospitals from Nairobi to rural counties grapple with similar, if not more severe, challenges of long queues, staff shortages, and frustrated patients.

The RCN report highlights that between July and September 2025, over 320,000 people left A&E untreated, a massive jump from just under 100,000 in the same period in 2019. Prof Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s chief executive, labelled the situation "dangerous and a sign of a broken system."

"The reality is that the failure to deliver proper, well-resourced primary and community care services leaves people with no choice but to go to A&E," Prof Ranger noted, explaining that the entire system becomes jammed, leaving staff at a breaking point.

A Familiar Story for Kenyans

While specific data on patients leaving untreated in Kenya is scarce, the underlying pressures are well-documented and acutely felt. A 2022 study on public hospitals in Bungoma County, for instance, found emergency infrastructure availability was at just 42%, with a complete lack of resuscitation rooms. Equipment availability was even lower at 34.7%.

These conditions contribute to the long queues and delays that are a daily reality for many Kenyans seeking care. The challenges facing the nation's health sector are numerous and systemic:

• Critical Staff Shortages: Kenya's doctor-to-population ratio is approximately 1-to-16,000, a far cry from the WHO's recommended 1-to-1,000.
• Underfunding and Lack of Resources: Many public facilities, especially in rural areas, lack essential equipment, funding, and even basics like oxygen. A recent government census found only 5.8% of all health facilities had accident and emergency services.
• Overburdened Referral Hospitals: Major institutions like Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) are perpetually congested, often forcing them to handle walk-in patients that should be managed by local clinics, further straining their specialized resources.

A separate report by healthcare analysts LaingBuisson in the UK noted a complex shift in private healthcare usage, partly driven by frustrations with the public system. This mirrors the situation in Kenya, where those who can afford it often turn to the private sector, but rising costs leave the vast majority reliant on struggling public facilities.

As even one of the world's most renowned health systems buckles under pressure, the question for Kenya is not if, but how, it will fortify its own frontline services before a similar crisis takes deeper root.