London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Feb 16, 2025

Pressure on the NHS is unsustainable, medics warn

Pressure on the NHS is unsustainable, medics warn

Pressure on the NHS is "intolerable and unsustainable", according to the British Medical Association (BMA) which represents doctors.

Chair of the BMA council, Professor Phil Banfield, has called on the government to "step up and take immediate action" to solve the crisis.

Hospitals are facing soaring demands, which experts believe is in part driven by winter illnesses like flu and Covid.

The government said it recognised the pressures faced by the NHS.

A number of hospitals have declared critical incidents in recent days, meaning they cannot function as usual due to extraordinary pressure.

According to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) - which monitors standards of care in UK A&E departments - the NHS is facing the worst winter for A&E waits on record and some A&E departments are in a "complete state of crisis".

Dr Ian Higginson, the college's vice-president, said he was in "no doubt" there was a risk to patients.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live the waits being experienced by patients in emergency departments were "appalling" - and said he had heard of waits of up to four days.

"Emergency departments are in a really difficult and in some cases a complete state of crisis right now... and in many cases we are unable to provide care at the standard we would like."



On Sunday, RCEM president Dr Adrian Boyle said between 300 and 500 people were dying every week as a result of delays to emergency care.

The figures appear to be based on research published by the Emergency Medical Journal which calculated that every 82 patients whose hospital admission is delayed by more than six hours results in one death within 30 days.

But NHS England's Chris Hopson said care needed to be taken "jumping to conclusions about excess mortality rates and their cause without a really full and detailed look at the evidence".

Mr Hopson told BBC Radio 5 Live he feels "deeply uncomfortable" about the level of care sometimes being provided at moments of pressure.

He listed multiple factors that have contributed to pressures on NHS services including:

*  18% more people coming into A&E in the last six weeks compared to the same period last year

Covid patients in England increasing to 9,500 compared to 4,500 a few weeks ago

*  Some 3,750 flu sufferers in hospital beds compared to 520 one month ago

*  Delayed discharges of medically fit patients, which currently stands at 12,000

*  A growing population and a decline in living standards

*  9,500 NHS staff absent at the moment due to Covid

However, the chief strategy officer urged people in need of medical attention to "come forward", but reminded patients to "use the best route" of support.

Education minister Robert Halfon said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was treating pressures on the NHS as a "top priority".

"We're increasing NHS capacity by the equivalent of 7,000 beds, spending an extra £500m to speed up hospital discharges and improve capacity, and providing an extra £150m for the ambulance service," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting blamed the situation on "more than 12 years of Conservative mis-management".

He said he found it "completely inexplicable" that no government minister had appeared in public to "explain what they are doing to grip this crisis".

The Liberal Democrats have called for an immediate recall of parliament and urged the government to pass an emergency health plan and declare a "national major incident".


'Emergency departments unbearable'


Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the situation in emergency departments remains "unbearable".

"Unless we are able to retain and attract colleagues, and recruit new colleagues, then our situation will remain unbearable for a long time," he told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.

Andrew Macfarlane's 90-year-old mother has been waiting more than 30 hours for an ambulance after she fell on New Year's Eve and hurt her hip.

"She's in a lot of pain but she's not on death's door, so I think there is a priority listing whereby she's down the priority list," he told the BBC.

His closest hospital in Torbay, Devon, is a 10-minute drive away but he was told not to move his mother in case it caused her further injury.

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: "We sincerely apologise for the delay this patient has experienced."

They said handover delays at emergency departments were affecting their performance. An ambulance did later arrive for her.

Meanwhile, nurses and paramedics went on strike in December and the BMA has said it will ballot junior doctors this month. Nurses will again strike in England on 18 and 19 January and ambulance staff in parts of England on 11 and 23 January.

The government says it recognises the pressures being faced, and said it was providing £14.1bn in additional funding for health and social care over the next two years, as well as an extra £500m to try to speed up hospital discharges.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk is Sherlock Holmes - Movie Trailer Parody featuring Donald Trump's Detective
Trump's Greenland Suggestion Sparks Sovereignty Discussion Amidst Historical Resentments
California's CalExit Movement Gathers Momentum Amid Ongoing Political and Economic Discussions in the State.
USAID Revealed: American Tax Dollars Utilized to Erode Democracy in Europe Until Trump Put a Stop to It
Pam Bondi Leaves Congress in Utter Shock with a Stunning Rebuttal of Adam Schiff.
Trump's Press Secretary SLAMS Republican Mitch McConnell for Opposing Tulsi Gabbard.
Brand Finance Unveils its Rankings of the Best CEOs for 2025: Satya Nadella Takes the Lead
Steering Through the Updated Chain of Command at the European Commission
Parliamentarian Advocates for Preservation of AI Liability Directive
Mark Rutte Calls on NATO Allies to Increase Defence Expenditure
Dresden Marks the 80th Anniversary of the World War II Bombing
Global Community Pledges to Assist Syria's Political Transition
EU Activates €200 Billion for AI Investment and Introduces €20 Billion Fund for Gigafactories
EU Recognizes Difficulty in Closing the USAID Funding Shortfall Due to Stalled US Aid
Commission President von der Leyen Not Present at Notre Dame Reopening Due to Last-Minute Cancellation
EU Establishes Disinformation Code for Online Platforms, Leaving Out X
EU Lags in Enforcing Essential Cybersecurity Directives
EU Under Fire for Streamlining Discussions on Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Shein Receives Further Information Request from EU During Ongoing Investigation
European Commission Initiates Investigation into Shein While Focusing on Chinese E-Commerce Regulations
Trump's special envoy for hostage affairs cautions Hamas against challenging Trump before Saturday's deadline.
Ukraine Confirms Territorial Loss in Russia's Kursk Region
Trump Declares Reciprocal Tariffs as Trade Conflict Intensifies
California Congressman Robert Garcia's Threats of Utilizing Weapons Against Elon Musk
Trump and Putin Address Ukraine Peace Negotiations in Response to Worldwide Reactions
Honda and Nissan Conclude Merger Talks
New York Fashion Week Highlights Iconic Returns and Emerging Talents
Trump Proposes Including Ukraine in Peace Talks to Settle the Conflict
Trump Supports Russia's Reinstatement in G7 Amid Continuing Diplomatic Strains
Zelensky Warns Against Placing Trust in Putin as Peace Negotiations Progress
MI5 Acknowledges Submitting False Evidence in Court Concerning Neo-Nazi Informant
Trump Asserts BRICS 'Is No More' in Light of Tariff Threats.
UK Introduces New Citizenship Restrictions for Refugees Who Arrive Illegally
Stoke-on-Trent Schools Face 'Astronomical' Repair Costs Amid PFI Contract Challenges
Employment Tribunal Reviews Use of Female Changing Room by Transgender Doctor
Projected Costs and Funding Dynamics of the NHS: An In-Depth Analysis
Scrutiny Over Rachel Reeves' Career and Expenses Claims Ahead of Ministerial Role
Sue Gray Introduced as Baroness Gray of Tottenham in the House of Lords
Fire Engulfs Primary School in Wales, Leading to Evacuations
Two British citizens apprehended in Iran amidst rising tensions.
Inquest Reveals Manipulation and Harassment Faced by Soldier Before Death
UK Economy Registers Unexpected Growth in Final Quarter of 2024
Ukraine's Role Central to Peace Negotiations, Asserting Global Sentiment
Winter Pressures Unfold at Royal Free Hospital Amid NHS Strain
Rachel Reeves's CV and Expenses Scrutiny Following BBC Investigation
Trump's Tariffs Loom Large Over Significant German Trade Exhibition
President Trump Resolves Legal Disputes with X and Meta Regarding Social Media Bans
OpenAI Modifies Approach in Response to Increasing AI Competition
Amazingly Good News for USA and the World: Gabbard Confirmed as U.S. Intel Chief in Latest Victory for Trump!
UK Business Leaders Expect Profit Increase Despite Regulatory Crackdown on the Shadow Economy
×