Hospitals are reporting they are facing problems discharging patients as they struggle to cope with A&E pressures.
A number of NHS trusts have declared major incidents in recent days, with cases emerging of patients being treated in corridors and ambulances queuing outside A&E.
But hospital chiefs have also warned they face difficulties getting patients out of hospital too.
It comes as David Cameron and Ed Miliband clashed over the problems.
Continue reading the main storyDuring the first Prime Minister's Questions of 2015, the Labour leader said the prime minister had "betrayed" patients.
"The pressures on A&E are not just happening on your watch but are a direct result of the decisions you have taken," he told Mr Cameron in the House of Commons.
He went on to cite steps such as the closure of walk-in centres, cuts to social care and the "damaging" reorganisation that took place in the early years of this Parliament.
Earlier shadow health secretary Andy Burnham had called for an urgent summit on how to alleviate pressure on A&E services in English hospitals.
He said that should involve both the NHS and local government, which controls social care.
But Mr Cameron hit back, saying the government had increased spending on the NHS, which had led to more doctors and nurses on wards.
He said it was interesting that Labour had "no solutions to put forward".
"That only says to me while we are interested in improving the NHS, you simply want to use it as a political football," he added.
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Ed Miliband called on David Cameron to apologise for breaking a "solemn promise"
The debate happened just a day after figures were released in England showing waiting times had dropped to their worst level for a decade over the past three months.
Just 92.6% of patients were seen in four hours from October to December - below the 95% target. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also missing their targets.
The pressures have become so great that a number of trusts have had to declare major incidents in recent days.
The status triggers the implementation of extra measures, including calling in off-rota staff and cancelling non-emergency care such as routine operations.
Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge is the latest big hospital to declare a major incident.
Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said the hospital had been under "extreme pressure" since New Year's Eve.
"We have declared a major incident... due to unprecedented levels of demand on our services, with especially high numbers of frail, elderly patients, combined with a record level of patients whose medical care is finished and whose discharge is delayed."
Hospitals in Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, Cambridgeshire, London and Surrey are also among those affected.
Hospitals currently most affected- The Royal Stoke University Hospital
- Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
- Cheltenham General Hospital
- Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals
- Walsall Manor Hospital
- Peterborough City Hospital
- Croydon University Hospital
- Addenbrooke's Hospital
Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, a charity that represents older people, said the difficulties in A&E reflected "deepening problems in our whole health and care system".
"Once in hospital, there are too few support services available for them [older people] to be quickly and safely discharged.
"As a result, the entire system is in danger of becoming blocked at times of increased demand, such as we are seeing now."
| Nation | Target | Latest performance |
|---|---|---|
|
England |
95% of patients in four hours |
92.6% October to December |
|
Northern Ireland |
95% of patients in four hours |
80.5% in November |
|
Scotland |
98% of patients in four hours |
93.5% of patients in September |
|
Wales |
95% of patients in four hours |
83.8% of patients in November |
Have you recently attended your local A&E department? What was your experience? Are you an NHS employee? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with any information. Please leave a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
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