EMERGENCY DOCTORS WARN GOVERNMENT OF WINTER PRESSURES

Emergency doctors have warned that pressure on A&E departments could worsen this winter. A Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) survey drew responses from 163 clinical leads responsible for most emergency departments in the country. The college said 91% were very or extremely concerned about the pressure their departments would face. Doctors also warned that two-thirds of A&E departments were unsafe. They described the prospect of further winter pressure as a “perfect storm”.

The doctors said seriously ill patients were already spending “hours upon hour” in corridors and on chairs. They said avoidable deaths were occurring every week. Only 3% of clinical leads who responded said their departments were well prepared for winter. The RCEM asked them how their departments were managing and how they viewed the months ahead.

The Department of Health and Social Care announced funding last weekend for 14 urgent care schemes across England, intended to ease winter pressure on the NHS. Figures given for the allocation range from £140 million to £150 million. The schemes include urgent treatment centres, same-day emergency care services, new ambulance fleets and emergency department upgrades. The RCEM said current plans, including the latest announcement, “won’t cut it”. It called the survey a “stark reminder to the government that action is needed right now to avert disaster”.