This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51046616
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| 'Misery' for A&E patients facing record-long waits | 'Misery' for A&E patients facing record-long waits |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Patients needing emergency care have faced a "miserable" time, doctors say, as data shows record-long delays in England in the past month. | Patients needing emergency care have faced a "miserable" time, doctors say, as data shows record-long delays in England in the past month. |
| Hospitals reported huge pressures in December, with one in five A&E patients waiting over four hours. | |
| A key problem seems to have been a shortage of beds on wards. | A key problem seems to have been a shortage of beds on wards. |
| Nearly 100,000 of the sickest patients were forced to spend over four hours on trolleys and in corridors after their time in A&E as beds could not be found. | |
| Delays were also experienced by those brought in by ambulances. | Delays were also experienced by those brought in by ambulances. |
| One in six crews had to queue outside A&E units for more than 30 minutes, waiting to handover patients to hospital staff - the target is 15. | One in six crews had to queue outside A&E units for more than 30 minutes, waiting to handover patients to hospital staff - the target is 15. |
| Royal College of Emergency Medicine president Dr Katherine Henderson said: "The NHS is struggling to escape its spiral of decline. | Royal College of Emergency Medicine president Dr Katherine Henderson said: "The NHS is struggling to escape its spiral of decline. |
| "This will have been a miserable Christmas period for many patients and staff alike." | "This will have been a miserable Christmas period for many patients and staff alike." |
| NHS medical director Prof Stephen Powis said it had been a "very busy" period, compounded by an earlier outbreak of flu than had happened in previous winters. | NHS medical director Prof Stephen Powis said it had been a "very busy" period, compounded by an earlier outbreak of flu than had happened in previous winters. |
| He said the health service was looking to recruit more staff and open more beds to help relieve pressure in the future. | He said the health service was looking to recruit more staff and open more beds to help relieve pressure in the future. |
| In the meantime, hospitals have been forced to take emergency steps to relieve pressure. | |
| Many have postponed routine operations to try to free up space. | |
| And some hospitals have even had to introduce emergency protocols and turn away walk-in patients so they could focus on patients brought in by ambulances. | |
| There were more than 120 cases of this happening last month - with some hospitals instigating the measure, known as an A&E divert, multiple times. | |
| 'My father-in-law spent 25 hours waiting for a bed' | 'My father-in-law spent 25 hours waiting for a bed' |
| Mark Newton's 83-year-old father-in-law, George Bufton, was taken to Shrewsbury Hospital in the first week of January. | Mark Newton's 83-year-old father-in-law, George Bufton, was taken to Shrewsbury Hospital in the first week of January. |
| He had a chest infection and a suspected gall bladder problem - and this came just over a month after a major bowel cancer operation. | He had a chest infection and a suspected gall bladder problem - and this came just over a month after a major bowel cancer operation. |
| He spent 25 hours waiting for a bed to be found. | He spent 25 hours waiting for a bed to be found. |
| Mr Newton said he was "gobsmacked" by what he saw. | Mr Newton said he was "gobsmacked" by what he saw. |
| At one point about 20 trolleys were waiting in the corridor, with queues of ambulances outside A&E. | At one point about 20 trolleys were waiting in the corridor, with queues of ambulances outside A&E. |
| He said staff were doing an "admirable" job in the circumstances but there was just not enough money or staff to cope. | He said staff were doing an "admirable" job in the circumstances but there was just not enough money or staff to cope. |
| "It was utter mayhem. This can't continue. Something must be done about it," Mr Newton said. | "It was utter mayhem. This can't continue. Something must be done about it," Mr Newton said. |
| How bad has it been? | How bad has it been? |
| December was certainly the worst month since the four-hour target was introduced, in 2004. | December was certainly the worst month since the four-hour target was introduced, in 2004. |
| Just 79.8% of patients spent less than four hours in A&E - well below the 95% target. | Just 79.8% of patients spent less than four hours in A&E - well below the 95% target. |
| Three trusts - Norfolk and Norwich, Stockport and Hull - all saw performance drop below 60%. | Three trusts - Norfolk and Norwich, Stockport and Hull - all saw performance drop below 60%. |
| Meanwhile, a group of Midlands trusts - Shrewsbury and Telford, Leicester, Birmingham and United Lincolnshire - were all among the 10 worst performers. | Meanwhile, a group of Midlands trusts - Shrewsbury and Telford, Leicester, Birmingham and United Lincolnshire - were all among the 10 worst performers. |
| Waiting times have been getting gradually worse over the autumn - October and November saw record worst levels set as well. | Waiting times have been getting gradually worse over the autumn - October and November saw record worst levels set as well. |
| But the problems in emergency care has not just been confined to A&E waits. | But the problems in emergency care has not just been confined to A&E waits. |
| The number of patients who then needed to be admitted on to the ward and faced long delays also hit a new worst level. | The number of patients who then needed to be admitted on to the ward and faced long delays also hit a new worst level. |
| There were 98,500 patients who faced a so-called "trolley wait" of a further four hours. | There were 98,500 patients who faced a so-called "trolley wait" of a further four hours. |
| That is nearly one in four of the patients who needed to be admitted. | That is nearly one in four of the patients who needed to be admitted. |
| These "trolley waits" can be in corridors or temporary waiting areas, either in A&E or just outside. | These "trolley waits" can be in corridors or temporary waiting areas, either in A&E or just outside. |
| Patients who are admitted are often the sickest of those who attend A&E. | Patients who are admitted are often the sickest of those who attend A&E. |
| The waiting time targets for cancer treatment and routine operations, such as knee and hip replacements, have also been missed. | The waiting time targets for cancer treatment and routine operations, such as knee and hip replacements, have also been missed. |
| What is the cause of the pressures? | What is the cause of the pressures? |
| Hospital bosses acknowledged it had been one of the most difficult months they had seen - and this comes despite the extra money the government has put in this year, which saw the NHS budget grow by 3.5%. | Hospital bosses acknowledged it had been one of the most difficult months they had seen - and this comes despite the extra money the government has put in this year, which saw the NHS budget grow by 3.5%. |
| There are a variety of reasons behind the problems. | There are a variety of reasons behind the problems. |
| Prof Joe Harrison, chief executive of Milton Keynes Hospital, said his staff had been seeing some very sick patients. | Prof Joe Harrison, chief executive of Milton Keynes Hospital, said his staff had been seeing some very sick patients. |
| He said it had mainly been a combination of older patients and children, who seemed to have been particularly hard hit by flu and respiratory problems. | He said it had mainly been a combination of older patients and children, who seemed to have been particularly hard hit by flu and respiratory problems. |
| But the figures also show the number of beds closed to contain vomiting and diarrhoea outbreaks rose by more than 60% compared with last year, with 760 beds closed on average each day last month - nearly 1% of the bed supply lost. | But the figures also show the number of beds closed to contain vomiting and diarrhoea outbreaks rose by more than 60% compared with last year, with 760 beds closed on average each day last month - nearly 1% of the bed supply lost. |
| Prof Harrison also said the social-care system in the community, which hospitals rely on to discharge patients into, seemed to have been struggling more than it had been last year. | Prof Harrison also said the social-care system in the community, which hospitals rely on to discharge patients into, seemed to have been struggling more than it had been last year. |
| "Keeping people safe has been our main priority. There is significant pressure, not just in this hospital, but across the NHS system as a whole," he said. | "Keeping people safe has been our main priority. There is significant pressure, not just in this hospital, but across the NHS system as a whole," he said. |
| Richard Murray, from the King's Fund think tank, said he believed there were too few beds in the system. | Richard Murray, from the King's Fund think tank, said he believed there were too few beds in the system. |
| "Hospital bed numbers have fallen significantly over the past decade. With hospitals full to capacity, it is clear that bed reductions have gone too far." | "Hospital bed numbers have fallen significantly over the past decade. With hospitals full to capacity, it is clear that bed reductions have gone too far." |
| What about the rest of the UK? | What about the rest of the UK? |
| The difficulties have not just been confined to England - none of the three core targets covering A&E, routine operations or cancer is being met in the other three nations. | The difficulties have not just been confined to England - none of the three core targets covering A&E, routine operations or cancer is being met in the other three nations. |
| In recent days, the Hywel Dda health board, which is in charge of services in west Wales, said it had had to cancel planned surgery at a number of local hospitals because of the "challenging" situation. | In recent days, the Hywel Dda health board, which is in charge of services in west Wales, said it had had to cancel planned surgery at a number of local hospitals because of the "challenging" situation. |
| The British Medical Association said services across the nation had been stretched, with some reports cancer surgery had had to be cancelled too. | The British Medical Association said services across the nation had been stretched, with some reports cancer surgery had had to be cancelled too. |
| The four-hour performance figures for December will not be released by the Welsh government until later in the month. | The four-hour performance figures for December will not be released by the Welsh government until later in the month. |
| Scotland's figures for the festive period are not available yet either - but November was one of the worst months on record. | Scotland's figures for the festive period are not available yet either - but November was one of the worst months on record. |
| Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, which has the worst record when it comes to A&E delays, there is concern continuing strikes by nurses will have exacerbated the winter pressures. | Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, which has the worst record when it comes to A&E delays, there is concern continuing strikes by nurses will have exacerbated the winter pressures. |
| While A&E departments have remained running during the strikes, the second round of which took place this week, there have been reports hospitals have struggled to discharge patients quickly enough. | While A&E departments have remained running during the strikes, the second round of which took place this week, there have been reports hospitals have struggled to discharge patients quickly enough. |
| And this has a knock-on effect of causing delays admitting patients. | And this has a knock-on effect of causing delays admitting patients. |
| According to the latest figures, which date back to September, a third of patients were waiting longer than four hours in A&E, which was twice as bad as the situation in England and Scotland during that month. | According to the latest figures, which date back to September, a third of patients were waiting longer than four hours in A&E, which was twice as bad as the situation in England and Scotland during that month. |
| Have you experienced long waits in A&E or had your surgery cancelled? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you experienced long waits in A&E or had your surgery cancelled? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |