Monday 21 October 2024
As the government announces its public consultation on the long-term future of the NHS, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has warned it not to lose focus on the current crisis affecting A&Es.
Today (Monday 21 October 2024) the Department of Health and Social Care has opened its “national conversation” as part of its 10-Year Health Plan.
The consultation has been welcomed by RCEM, but with the warning that focus on long-term planning should not overshadow the problems facing A&Es as we head for what is expected to be another hugely challenging winter.
Extremely long waits are increasing, with almost 130,000 people spending more than 12 hours in an Emergency Department last month, and with several Ambulance Trusts implementing a policy of ‘drop and go’ which can see patients abandoned after 45 minutes so that targets are not missed, patients are being put at risk.
Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “Today there is much attention on the NHS and its long-term future as the public consultation on the 10-year plan is launched.
“While we welcome this, we must not lose focus on the very real and dangerous issues which are happening right now in Emergency Departments across the country. Almost daily we see warnings issued by A&Es about their ability to cope – deeply worrying when we still have the inevitable seasonal spike in crowding to come.
“Added to this we have ambulance trusts implementing an unacceptable ‘drop and go’ policy, and NHSE continuing to focus on reducing four-hour A&E stays, but not tackling longer stays despite our warnings. The number of most dangerous long stays – those of 12-hours or more – continues to rise.
“Just last month almost 130,000 people were forced to stay 12 or more hours, frequently enduing it on a chair, or on a trolley often in a corridor due to lack of space. Long waits are not just undignified or inconvenient – they are dangerous and are associated with thousands of excess deaths each year.
“We must not be distracted by talk of long-term reform while there are issues which present a serious risk to patient safety happening up and down the country every day which need urgently addressing.”
Dr Boyle also reflected on the ‘drop and go’ policy during an interview with The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and stated, “just fixing one little bit by putting pressure on to another isn’t the right way to try and fix this.”
Asked about the consultation on the 10 Year Plan, he welcomed the important piece of work to future proof the NHS. However, Dr Boyle said “we mustn’t take our eye off the ball” with the current crisis Emergency Medicine clinicians are going to work and facing every day, with winter coming and stressed the need for immediate support.
Listen to BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme on Catch-up from 2:10:00 here.
