Emergency physicians express concern about patient safety and care during the winter season

November 19, 2024 TruthUSA

During October, NHS A&E services had 2.36 million attendances and 567,446 admissions.

A “shocking” number of A&E clinicians have expressed concerns about patient safety this winter, as departments struggle with severe overcrowding and declining care standards.

A survey of healthcare workers responsible for patient safety in A&E departments showed that 94% of clinicians believe patients are at risk.

The findings, published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) on Monday, revealed that only 1 in 10 respondents from 83 hospitals felt better prepared this winter compared to last year.

The results also indicated that 87% were not confident their department would cope this winter and 83% had patients being cared for in corridors.

This comes amidst a significant increase in the number of patients waiting over 12 hours after A&E admission in the past two years. The figure stood at 49,592 in October, up from 38,880 in September, according to the Royal College of Nursing.

Overall, October saw 567,446 emergency admissions, a 3.8% increase compared to the same month last year.

Regarding the survey results, RCEM President Dr. Adrian Boyle commented, “This is a stark warning from those on the front line. Clinicians are worried and patients are unsafe. Winter is coming, and it looks like we are facing a massive crisis in every part of the UK. We cannot just ignore winter and our patients.”

He also added that “corridor care” is demeaning for vulnerable patients, with people being stranded for hours on trolleys or chairs despite efforts to improve waiting times.

RCEM highlighted that the shortage of beds and resources increases the risk of patient deaths. Last year, it reported nearly 300 deaths per week linked to long A&E waits.

Following last year’s winter health service crisis, the government introduced a recovery plan for emergency care services in January 2023. The initiative aimed to improve waiting times, yet the NHS still faced high bed occupancy and increased patient admissions.

In February, only 56.5% of patients met the NHS’s four-hour waiting time target, a 1.5% drop from when the plan was initiated.

Boyle emphasized, “We speak of percentages and numbers, but let’s remember we are talking about people and a workforce under immense pressure trying to provide care. This is happening without additional resources for the winter months from the government.”

Government Support

Boyle criticized Labour’s October Budget for not addressing the pressures in A&Es this winter by not increasing bed numbers or providing additional support for social care.

He noted that the budget set aside funding to deliver 40,000 elective appointments per week to reduce waiting times, including investments in new surgical hubs, scanners, and radiotherapy machines.

However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned that the budgetary measures might not be sufficient to address the “14 years of damage” to the NHS.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged that while the NHS remains a government priority, there is no quick fix to the healthcare crisis.

Streeting stated, “We can’t magically solve all the problems this winter by waving a Labour magic wand.”

NHS National Medical Director Sir Stephen Powis cautioned that this winter would strain the service more than ever before, despite efforts to treat record numbers of patients.

Sir Stephen said, “While we continue to handle record demand, there is still significant progress needed to meet patient expectations. We will collaborate with the government on the 10 Year Health Plan to address patient needs.”

The government’s 10-year NHS plan will be released in spring 2025, focusing on significant shifts in healthcare services, including neighborhood health centers, preventive healthcare, and patient health record management reform.

PA Media contributed to this report.

Source link