RAH staff are ‘burnt out’, warns top doctor
Fears raised over patient care
A furore has erupted over hospital A&E departments after doctors’ leaders warned care is being compromised and staff are “burnt out”.
It comes after a string of poor performances in recent months at casualty departments, including Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, which returned its worst performance on record two weeks ago as “heroic” staff battle on.
The Express told last week how just 49.8 per cent of the 1,112 patients who attended the hospital’s A&E department in the week up to March 13 were seen within four hours.
Scottish Government guidelines call for 95 per cent of A&E patients to be admitted, transferred or discharged within a four-hour timeframe.
But the target has rarely been met since the pandemic, with some sites, including the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde run RAH and Govan’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, repeatedly notching up some of the worst performances in Scotland.
Although figures for patient waits at the Corsebar Road hospital’s A&E improved this week, they are still well below target.
NHS data reveals 61.7 per cent of the 1,095 patients who attended for emergency treatment at the RAH in the week up to March 20 were seen with the four-hour timescale.
Some 419 waited more than four hours, while 162 had to wait for eight or more.
Figures show that 52 patients were left waiting for more than 12 hours.
Scotland’s A&E departments saw an average of 66.2 per cent of patients against the target, while NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s board average was below that at 66 per cent.
Struggling national performance, which saw some of the worst A&E waiting times on record, has sparked a national outcry.
Dr John Thomson, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Scotland, warned the Scottish Government is presiding over a growing crisis, saying: “Each week, the urgent and emergency care crisis worsens.
“Scotland’s emergency care system is failing patients who are coming to harm, and failing staff who are overworked, exhausted, and burned out, but are left to cover the widespread shortcomings of the health system.
“Shortages of beds, shortages of staff, the social care crisis – existing staff do all they can to keep patients safe in these exceptionally challenging circumstances.”
He branded the situation “untenable and unsustainable” and called for “effective and meaningful action”.
The medic also said that: “The Scottish Government must understand the severity and extent of harm befalling our patients, and see that existing staff facing moral injury, going above and beyond, running on goodwill and adrenaline is not reasonable or acceptable.”
Last week, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde bosses urged residents to stay away from struggling A&E departments, including the RAH, as they blamed a fresh surge in covid cases for contributing to delays in underpressure sites.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf visited the Paisley site three weeks ago in an attempt to iron out a series of problems, including “chronic” staff shortages, during talks with managers and union leaders.
Paisley-based MSP Neil Bibby has also hit out once more at the state of hospital performance, saying: “The improvement this week on last week’s appalling RAH figures is, of course, to be welcomed.
“But the fact remains – our hospital is in crisis. Staff are under extreme and unsustainable pressure. Patients are being put in danger as a result. Lives are on the line.”
The Labour West Scotland politician added: “Humza Yousaf finally visited the RAH earlier this month. He tells us he heard the concerns of staff and patients. But did he listen? Where is the action?
“The fact is that while RAH staff work heroically to keep services running, they and their patients have been badly failed by complacent ministers. It’s time for Humza Yousaf to drop the excuses, develop a viable plan, and act immediately to keep people safe.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde defended its position.
A spokesperson said: “Our hospitals are near capacity, with more than 750 Covid-19 positive patients on our wards with a diagnosis of 28 days or less.
“While the overall trend suggests the virus is less severe, and our ICUs remain relatively free from Covid-19 patients for the moment, it is still very transmissible.
“Large numbers of positive patients admitted to hospital – either as direct result of the virus, or admitted for another illness, but having tested positive with no symptoms – is putting significant pressure on capacity and available bed numbers.”
He added: “This is having a knock-on effect at our A&E departments and assessment units.
“Our staff continue to work tirelessly to ensure we’re able to see and treat patients as quickly as possible during this time.
“We continue to remind the public not to come to A&E unless suffering from a very urgent or life-threatening condition.
“Everyone else who thinks they need urgent medical attention should speak to their GP first, or, call NHS24 on 111.”