‘Year-round crisis’ in emergency care
LEADING doctors have warned of a “yearround crisis” in emergency care in the NHS following a new analysis.
The British Medial Association (BMA) said that emergency care services in England are performing as badly in the summer – traditionally a quieter time for the health service – as it did in some of the previous winters.
It comes off the back of last winter where the health service struggled to meet key performance targets as it battled poor weather and a difficult flu season.
The BMA analysis examined data released each month by NHS England on emergency admissions, “trolley waits” for more than four hours and the percentage of A&E patients who are seen within the fourhour target.
They compared winter months – January to March – and summer months – July to September – from 2011 onwards.
The analysis found that almost 200,000 more patients were left stranded for more than four hours on a trolley waiting for care after being admitted to hospital in the most recent winter period compared to the same timeframe in 2011.
Meanwhile, the rate of compliance with the four-hour waiting targets for patients to be seen, treated, admitted or discharged from A&E was lower in the summer of 2018 than the winters of 2011 to 2015.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of council at the BMA, said: “These figures lay bare the long-term underfunding of emergency care services in England that have experienced years of declining budgets and staff shortages at a time when patient demand has rocketed.
“It is shocking that the number of patients waiting more than four hours for treatment on trolleys has increased seven-fold during the winter months since 2011, with almost 200,000 more patients left in this appalling situation.
“Compliance with the four-hour waiting time target has dropped 11% since 2011 and even during the supposedly quieter summer period there have been similar declines.
“Most worryingly, the pressure on the NHS has developed into an all year crisis.”
Dr Simon Walsh, an emergency care doctor and member of the BMA’s consultants committee, added: “Behind these figures lie real stories of misery.
“Tens of thousands of patients are being left in crowded, cramped corridors, waiting for treatment while others are having to endure longer waits to even see a doctor or nurse.
“We cannot and should not allow this appalling state of affairs to continue.”
An NHS England spokesman said: “The NHS’s extensive planning for winter is already well under way, with access to clinical advice through NHS 111 and evening and weekend GP appointments improving people’s access to care, plus action by hospitals and local councils to free up beds by reducing long stays.
“Staff getting vaccinated against flu will also help reduce the pressure on services over winter.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “We have given the NHS £1.6 billion this year to improve performance and cut waiting times, as well as £420m in additional winter support to redevelop A&Es, improve emergency care and help patients get home quicker.
“Our historic long-term plan for the NHS, backed by an extra £20.5bn a year by 2023/24, will improve front-line services and put our health service on a long-term sustainable footing.”