Heatwave has left NHS facing a summer crisis
RECORD numbers of patients needed emergency treatment last month following an ‘unprecedented summer surge’ during the biggest heatwave in 0 years.
Patients were left languishing on trolleys as more than 2.1 million patients flooded NHS hospitals and walk-in centres as temperatures exceeded 30C (86F).
A&E attendances for July were the highest since monthly reporting began in 2010 – up almost 5 per cent compared to the same period last year – while emergency admissions rose by 7.3 per cent.
Health bosses say the NHS is in the midst of a ‘summer crisis’ with soaring temperatures leaving hospitals running at ‘boiling point all year round’.
Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the heatwave had led to increases in attendances and admissions in those suffering from dehydration, particularly the frail elderly.
He warned the increased pressure on services was likely to be bad news for the coming winter, when trusts face their busiest time.
‘The summer months are traditionally the time acute hospitals and frontline staff have to recharge the batteries – this year we have had no respite and draining conditions,’ he said.
The surge in attendances has been blamed for worsening waiting times, with more than .3 million patients waiting to start treatment.
Urgent referrals for cancer treatment have now been breached for 30 months in a row, with just 79.2 per cent of patients seen within 62 days – well below the target of 85 per cent.
In A&E, the number of patients being seen within four hours fell to 89.3 per cent, compared to 90.7 per cent in June and 90.3 per cent in July 2017.
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: ‘The summer has provided no respite for NHS staff who are now working flat out to meet unsustainable levels of demand both in the summer and the winter. This is a symptom of an NHS running at boiling point all year round.’ NHS England said: ‘As temperatures soared, the NHS saw an unprecedented summer surge last month.
‘Thanks to the hard work of staff, nine in ten people were seen, treated and admitted or discharged within four hours.’ ÷ Nearly a fifth of children and young people referred for an eating disorder wait four weeks or longer for treatment, according to figures yesterday.
The share of ordinary cases being seen within four weeks – the NHS target waiting time – was 79.9 per cent in the three months between April and June. The number of children needing urgent treatment who were helped within a week fell from 78.9 per cent to 7 .7 per cent.