NHS winter problems worse than ever, says academy

SOME patients are receiving “unsafe” care in the NHS as the health service grapples with its worst ever winter pressures, medical colleges have warned.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC) said there were “insufficient resources and capacity” in the NHS as it faces a “real crisis”.

In a statement on winter pressures in the health service, the AMRC said that unless politicians took action, the “winter crises” in the NHS would continue to worsen every year.

“Yet again, the NHS across the UK is facing a real crisis trying to cope with the winter pressures,” the statement said.

“The volume of activity means unacceptable waits for patients, delays in treatment or discharge and in some cases, unsafe care.

“Despite the fact the planning arrangements nationally and locally have generally been better than before and there has been clinical input at all levels, the problems have been worse than ever.

“But the best planning in the world won’t be effective if there are ultimately insufficient resources and capacity.”

The AMRC called on health leaders to start planning for next winter.

An NHS England spokesman said: “Hospitals are coming under increasing pressure but in the main are continuing to cope.

“Up to 30 per cent of people who go to A&E don’t actually need to be there and at this time of the year, when we are incredibly busy, we would remind the public only to use A&E if it is a genuine emergency and to otherwise seek advice from NHS 111, or their local GP or pharmacist.”

It comes as a new study claimed that long-term health conditions were driving increasing attendance at A&E departments, rather than GP shortages.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London examined records of nearly 820,000 patients at 136 practices in east London to find the reasons behind rising demand on hospitals.

Social deprivation and suffering from prolonged health problems were the main factors inflating emergency department attendance, it was found.

Patients with four or more long-term conditions had an attendance rate six times higher than those with no such complications.