Leading A&E doctors across the UK have raised concerns about the pressures emergency departments will face this winter, with just 3% saying they are well prepared for the colder months.
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they → lead → months
Overcrowding, corridor care and a looming surge in demand are “creating perfect conditions for a terrible winter”, according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).
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Overcrowding → loom → Medicine
The RCEM’s latest survey of 163 doctors in charge of A&E departments across the UK found that more than nine in 10 (92%) described current pressure as either high or very high, while 88% said they are under greater strain now than this time a year ago.
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they → find → time
Around nine in 10 (91%) told the poll they were very or extremely worried about pressures in the coming months.
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they → tell → months
Dr Ian Higginson, president of the RCEM, said: “Overcrowding, corridor care, the impending surge of demand from winter, and lack of meaningful preparations, are creating perfect conditions for a terrible winter.
“
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Overcrowding → say → winter
Colleagues from across the four nations have been crystal clear: we are not managing now and we simply are not ready for winter.
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we → manage → winter
“We have patients scattered all over our departments, many stuck in trolleys or on chairs for hours upon hours.
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many → have → hours
The sickest and most injured among them can’t get into a hospital bed and end up staying with us, sometimes for days.
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sickest → injure → days
“It’s a disgraceful state of affairs and I cannot believe it has been allowed to get this bad.
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it → ’ → affairs
Patients are dying unnecessarily every week whilst politicians continue to focus on the wrong solutions.”
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politicians → die → solutions
Almost two-thirds (65%) said emergency departments are under more pressure now than a year ago, while 97% warned that A&Es are not well prepared for winter.
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A&Es → say → winter
Meanwhile, 60% described their emergency department as actively unsafe.
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% → describe → department
The latest NHS England data shows there was an average of 3,310 patients who received corridor care each day in September, with 2,549 in A&E departments and 761 in other hospital areas.
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who → show → areas
This is up from an average of 2,865 per day in August, made up of 2,297 in emergency departments and 568 in other areas.
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This → make → areas
Meanwhile, the number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted stood at 50,582 in September, up from 44,951 in August.
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number → wait → August
Dr Higginson said: “With year-round pressure hitting departments, the vast majority of us have no spare capacity to help deal with the cold months.
“
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majority → say → months
Less than a decade ago, the annual NHS ‘winter crisis’ was declared when waiting times and overcrowding reached a fraction of what we now experience throughout the year.
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we → declare → year
We’ve now got to the point where we can’t tell where one crisis ends and the next begins.
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next → get → point
“We need governments from all four nations to step up, heed our warning – and act now.
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governments → need → warning
“Existing winter preparations represent the same old same old, and will yield the same disastrous results.
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preparations → exist → results
“Our clinical leads agree.
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leads → agree → ?
Knowing that, it beggars belief that we are going into winter with nearly a thousand fewer beds than last year, and with recruitment freezes stopping us recruiting doctors and nurses to help reduce risk for our patients or to get hospitals working.
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hospitals → know → patients
It comes after she warned that the NHS faces a more challenging winter than normal, as she announced a £140 million boost for urgent care in England.
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she → come → England
The Aporia
