A&E crisis is a national emergency, say Lords

The crisis in A&E should be declared a national emergency, a House of Lords report has suggested.

The Lords public services committee warned that neither the Department of Health and Social Care nor NHS England seem “prepared to deliver the leadership required with the urgency required” to tackle the situation.

They said the situation should be referred to COBR, which deals with decision-making during major national emergencies. The move would have the benefit of securing cross-government attention, including that of the Treasury and the Prime Minister, the report said.