Doctors plead for action on crisis in the NHS
Government warned of a ‘watershed’ moment
NHS DOCTORS have pleaded with the Prime Minister to take urgent action on hospital overcrowding as a winter crisis continues to engulf the health service.
The bosses of more than 60 A&E departments in England and Wales signed a letter to Theresa May which warns of bed shortages, chronic underfunding and patients “dying prematurely” in corridors.
The letter was made public as latest figures showed A&E waiting times performances had hit their lowest level for 14 years. Separate figures obtained by The
Yorkshire Post also reveal that millions of pounds was being spent providing extra beds to cope with demand at hospitals in the region, even before the busy winter period started.
The doctors’ letter, made public yesterday, was signed by medics representing 68 acute hospitals. It said: “This level of safety compromise is at time intolerable, despite the best efforts of staff.”
Mrs May previously said the NHS was better prepared than ever after plans were made to cope with extra demand this winter. NHS Providers, which represents health trusts, has also written to the Health Secretary to warn of a “watershed moment” for the NHS.
The organisation said the NHS could no longer deliver sufficient care without extra funding. It said: “Despite preparing for this winter better than ever before, national and local preparations have been insufficient to meet the levels of patient demand that trusts and primary and social care are now experiencing.”
Chris Hopson, NHS Providers chief executive, added: “The NHS is at a watershed moment.
“If we continue to run the NHS at close to 100 per cent capacity, day in day out, permanently in the red zone, it’s not surprising that the service can’t cope when we get a high, but entirely predictable, spike in demand.”
Controversial plans to change the way the health service is funded could also face a legal hurdle after a Judicial Review was launched. NHS campaigners are pursuing a legal case against proposals for Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs). The new system would be funded with a “whole population annual payment” instead of providers being paid a set price for services.
A court hearing is now expected in April after action group 999 Call For The NHS, represented by law firm Leigh Day, challenged its legality.
Group member and Calderdale health campaigner Jenny Shepherd said: “Everybody, at some time in their life, needs the NHS. We want it to stay as a comprehensive service for everyone who needs it and that’s what is under threat.”
Solicitor Rowan Smith added: “If NHS England does not have the legal power to introduce these new ACO contracts, then it will have to go back to the drawing board, which can ultimately only be a good thing for patients.”
MILLIONS OF pounds was being spent opening extra beds to help busy hospitals cope with demand even before the busy winter period started.
The health service spent more than £5.5m providing “escalation beds” at Yorkshire NHS trusts between March and September last year.
The cost of providing extra capacity at hospitals can be revealed as the NHS struggles with a winter crisis and patients face long delays in A&E departments around the country.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the cost of providing extra beds over the six-month period was about £1.5m at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Suzanne Hinchliffe, the trust’s deputy chief executive, said: “As demand for health services continues to grow, hospitals need to be able to create additional bed capacity to provide the care that patients need.
“Very significant pressures are now seen throughout the year, although they are greater during the winter months.”
The Leeds trust said a further six wards had been opened to cope with demand as part of its annual winter plan.
At Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, which runs Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals, the cost over six months was almost £680,000.
Most of the spending went on the pay of agency staff.
Mid Yorkshire said funding provided by NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) for the extra beds did not always cover the full costs.
Director of nursing David Melia said: “Each patient stay is funded by the CCGs, and in some instances this does not fully cover the cost of the care.”
The government pledged an extra £350m to help NHS hospitals cope this winter, despite warnings that more funding was needed.
Mid Yorkshire said it currently had 83 escalation beds open.
At Sheffield Teaching Hospitals the average cost of opening extra was estimated at £196 per bed per night. Extra beds cost more than £550,000 over the-six month period.
Chief operating officer Michael Harper said: “We get paid an amount of money for each patient who is cared for as an inpatient, which in the majority of cases accounts for the cost associated with that bed being open.
“This winter, because we know traditionally demand is significantly higher, we have been allocated additional funding which will go towards our planned opening of additional beds and staffing.” Comment: Page 12.