The pressure on the NHS is “unbearable” as the head of health warned that patients’ treatment would be hampered for another three months, senior medics said.
Executives from the British Medical Association, the Society for Emergency Medicine and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said staff were desperate to keep up with high demand.
However, a further increase in the number of patients is expected this week after the New Year holidays, and further strikes by nurses and paramedics this month will contribute to widening the supply backlog.
At least 10 NHS trusts have reported critical incidents, meaning they have to cut back on routine services to meet demand, with officials citing rising flu cases and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as reasons for the strain on healthcare.
Portsmouth’s University Hospital Trust, which has been in critical condition for almost a week, told patients on Monday that hospitals and emergency rooms are “overwhelmed”. Anyone who presented to the emergency room without a life-threatening illness or injury was referred to an emergency center or NHS 111.
The North Wales Health Board has postponed all non-urgent procedures scheduled for Tuesday after reporting another critical domestic incident. The Betsy Cadwaladr University Health Board said it had made the decision to try to deal with what it called “ongoing demand”.
Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Emergency Medicine, said the emergency room situation was “unbearable” and would remain so without major changes.
Mr Cooksley said: “Unless we can instill confidence in both NHS staff and our patients that the situation will improve, and if we cannot retain and then re-hire colleagues and hire new colleagues, our situation will remain intolerable in for a long time. “.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the delays were exacerbated by high rates of influenza and Covid, as well as “aftershocks of strikes” by nurses and paramedics over the past month. He also blamed the crisis on longer-term problems affecting more than 130,000 NHS vacancies and “a decade of underinvestment in capital and unfulfilled elections that continue to grow to over seven million people.”
Mr Taylor said: “Health leaders have told us that the pressure their staff are facing is becoming unbearable. It can be foreseen that the next three months will be characterized by further critical reporting incidents and a deterioration in the quality of medical care.”
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said that between 300 and 500 people die each week due to delays and problems in emergency and emergency care, and warned against any attempt to “discredit” that figure.
Vice President Ian Higginson said: “Over the past few days, we have heard that all the current problems are related to Covid or the flu, or it is difficult, you should not jump to conclusions. – all these things.
“If you are on the front lines, then you know that this is a long-standing problem. It’s not for the short term. Something similar happens every winter and it still seems like a surprise to the NHS.
But NHS England Chief Strategy Officer Chris Hopson said he did not “recognize” the assessment.
Rishi Sunak pledged to support the NHS in his New Year’s message, but he and Health Minister Steve Barclay faced criticism from Professor Phil Banfield, leader of the board of the British Medical Association (BMA), on Monday when he issued a scathing warning about the scope of the crisis. faced by healthcare workers.
“The current situation in the NHS is unbearable and unsustainable for both our patients and the hard-working staff who are desperate to meet incredibly high demand,” said Professor Banfield.
“The BMA has repeatedly invited the government to sit down and discuss the strain on our healthcare system, but their silence has been deafening. The Prime Minister talks disingenuously about supporting the NHS in his New Year’s message when his own Health Minister doesn’t talk about how to solve this crisis.
Professor Banfield urged the government to “intervene and take immediate action” to resolve the crisis.
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said: “The NHS staff are doing a great job and we are aware of the pressure the NHS is facing following the impact of the pandemic. That’s why over the next two years we’ve provided the NHS and social services with an additional £14.1 billion, and this winter we’ve committed an additional £500 million to speed up hospital discharges and free up beds. Last year, we also raised the wages of low-wage NHS workers by 9.3%.
“The Minister of Health and ministers have spoken to unions on numerous occasions and have made it clear that their doors remain open to further discussion on how we can work together to improve working conditions for NHS workers.”
Last week, one in five ER patients in England waited over an hour to be handed over to the ambulance crew. NHS Trusts aims to have 95% of ambulance transfers completed within 30 minutes and 100% within 60 minutes.
In November, 37,837 patients waited more than 12 hours in the emergency room for a decision to be admitted, according to NHS England. This is almost 355 percent more than in November last year, when there were 10,646 people.
The doctor said Dolin Bhagavati of the Medical Association of Great Britain. I Patients across the UK are facing such long waits in emergency rooms that people leave after hours to try and get help at another hospital miles away.
“Patients experience such a long wait in the emergency room that they get up and try to get help at another hospital, often miles away, so they can be seen on time. This is a national issue that requires a national solution as we reach a tipping point.”
Asked how this winter crisis compares to previous years, dr. Bhagavati: Literally every doctor I have met, regardless of experience, has said they have never seen anything like it. During winter, we constantly have problems waiting, but we do not have free toilets to make room for patients.
“In recent years, hundreds of people have not died because they had to wait to see someone, as the president of RCEM explained. In addition, we have a number of issues that are coming up: long-term ones, such as funding, lack of social assistance options and waiting lists, and then short-term ones, related to the increase in the incidence of Covid, influenza and other respiratory viruses.
“Now we have long wait times everywhere, exacerbated by staffing shortages, resulting in fewer healthcare workers dealing with more patients.”
Saffron Corderi, acting director of NHS Providers, urged the public to use emergency care only in emergencies due to “serious pressure” on the NHS.
“The days after Christmas and New Years are often the busiest days for the NHS and this year looks set to be even more challenging,” she said. “We are seeing an exceptionally high demand for medical care in the healthcare system during the holiday season, with emergency and emergency services under particular strain.”
Some hospitals reported a temporary lack of oxygen, but NHS officials said the problems were local and there was no nationwide shortage.
Dr. Nick Scriven, former President of the Society for Emergency Medicine I: “Instances of oxygen deprivation occur outside of normal hospital rooms/wards where tap oxygen is not available and people rely on cylinders. Of course, when people use bottles for many hours, they need to be checked, because bottles only last one to six hours each, depending on usage, and staff must pay attention and prepare with sufficient supplies.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.