National Health Service – The NEN

“We are seeing the sharp demise of the health service”

30,000 patients wait more than 12 hours in A&Es in England in July

Responding to the latest Emergency Department performance figures published by NHS England for July 2022, Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Adrian Boyle said: “These performance figures are worse than we could have ever expected for a summer month.

“There were nearly 30,000 12-hour waits (measured from decision to admit to admission) in July 2022, that is more than 3.5 times the total number of 12-hour waits for the whole of 2019.

“This is only the Tip of the Iceberg as the true number of 12-hour waits, measured from time of arrival, is much higher. We urgently need transparency for the scale of the crisis, only then will everyone recognise the reality of the situation and begin to take critical action. We urge NHS England to commit to publishing this data (which is already collected by all Trusts) monthly with immediate effect.

“The crisis is escalating quickly, and health workers are seriously concerned about the quality of care being provided, especially as we exit summer and head into winter. The system is struggling to perform its central function: to deliver care safely and effectively.

“This is a whole-system problem and requires a whole-system approach. There must be total focus on promoting flow throughout the hospital and priority around our ability to provide an NHS that helps patients in an emergency.

“We must ensure patients are discharged in a timely way, so beds are freed and patients in A&Es are able to move through the system and be treated. Flow and discharge rely heavily on an effective social care service that has sufficient workforce – the government must get to grips with this.

“Across the UK we urgently need 13,000 beds to drive meaningful improvement: in Emergency Medicine in England there is a shortfall of 2,000-2,500 Consultants as well as widespread shortages of nurses, trainees, SAS doctors and junior and supporting staff.

“The social care workforce must also be bolstered, which can be achieved by giving these core workers a fair wage that respects and recognises the value of their role. Retention of all health and social care workers is vital, staff are burned out and exhausted, and some are considering their careers.

“We are seeing the sharp demise of the health service and we are seeing little to no political will to act on or acknowledge the crisis – neither of the leadership candidates seem to recognise the scale of the crisis at hand.

“Winter is looming, which will bring a wave of flu and covid and increased footfall in Emergency Departments, with the data as dire as it is today and the scale of patient harm already occurring, we dread to think how much worse things could get for patients.

In winter four-hour performance typically decreases while the number of 12-hour waits significantly increases. We may reach a point where only half of patients are seen or treated within four-hours and see an even higher number of 12-hour waits.”

The latest Emergency Department performance figures published by NHS England for June 2022 for show:

There were 1,385,080 attendances at major Emergency Departments
- There were 2,163,779 total attendances at all Emergency Care facilities
29,317 patients were delayed for 12 hours or more from decision to admit to admission, this is just over 3.5 times higher than the total number of 12-hour waits over the whole of 2019
- This is the highest number of 12-hour waits on record
- This is a one third increase compared to the previous month, June 2022, or an increase of over 7,000 12-hour waits
- There have now been 150,014 12-hour waits (from decision to admit to admission) so far this year
Four-hour performance at major Emergency Departments was 57.0%, this is the worst four-hour performance on record
- More than 2 in 5 patients were delayed by four-hours or more
Type 1 admissions stood at 358,284 (a daily average of 11,575
136,221patients spent more than four hours in an Emergency Department from decision to admit to admission (also referred to as ‘trolley waits’)

Full to bursting: Health services struggle to cope with 20% rise in numbers over Christmas

Accident &Emergency attendances in the week leading up to Christmas Day rose by almost 20 per cent compared to the same period last year. Across Scotland, 26,569 people visited A&E in the week ending 24th December, up almost 20% or over 4,000 attendances on the same week last year. NHS 24 also reported their busiest period in the service’s fifteen year history. Continue reading Full to bursting: Health services struggle to cope with 20% rise in numbers over Christmas

Our NHS turns 70 this year

2018 sees the 70^th anniversary of the NHS in Scotland, with a number of significant milestones and records marking the occasion.

Since its creation on 5 July 1948 the NHS in Scotland has seen a number of important and significant developments, including:

In its first year, 15 million prescriptions were dispensed in Scotland – today, the figure is over 103 million with these now being provided free as a result of landmark reforms under this government
In 1948 1.2 million people were seen as outpatients – in 2016/17, there were around 4.25 million outpatient attendances
In 1948 NHS Scotland employed 22,062 nurses and midwives – today, this has risen to a new record high of over 59,000
In 1959 Scotland became a world leader in health education, with the UK’s first nursing and midwifery studies unit set up at Edinburgh University – this year saw the highest ever number of acceptances to study nursing and midwifery at Scottish universities

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “Scotland’s NHS has changed significantly in its 70 years, but its best qualities have endured. From the care, compassion, and professionalism of our staff, to remaining a public, universal service based on need – it has been 70 years of striving at all times for the highest possible standards in clinical excellence and patient care,

“The choices, services and outcomes that NHS Scotland provides today would not have been imaginable in 1948, and it keeps adapting, developing and changing. The lesson of the years since its creation is that staying still simply isn’t an option. Through our approach of investment and reform, we will keep driving forward improvements and innovations.

“Everyone will have their own personal stories of what the NHS has done for them – why we must never take our health service for granted. I am delighted to see our NHS reach such a significant anniversary and I hope all of Scotland will join the celebrations this year as we pay tribute to everything it has achieved.”

More information on the NHS in Scotland’s 70^th anniversary will be available on http://www.ournhsscotland.com/

NHS is 65 today

The National Health Service celebrates it’s 65th anniversary today.

The National Health Service was created by Clement Attlee’s Labour government to create “comprehensive health and rehabilitation services for prevention and cure of disease”. Described by Minister for Health Aneurin Bevan as ‘the biggest single experiment in social service that the world has ever seen undertaken’, the legislation to create the NHS was implemented in England and Wales in 1946 and across the rest of the United Kingdom by 1948.

Sixty-five years on the NHS has seen many changes – for better and worse – and has become something of a political football. But for all it’s shortcomings and faults, the NHS remains by far the country’s most cherished institution.

Prime Minister Daid Cameron (pictured below) said: “Our National Health Service is one of the most precious institutions we have. We all know it, because all of us have been touched by it. I will never forget the care my son Ivan received and the inspirational people who helped Sam and me through some of the most difficult times.

The consultants, the community nurses, the care team – every one of them became part of our lives. When you have experienced support and dedicated professional care like that, you know just how incredibly special the NHS is.”

Holyrood Health Secretary Alex Neil visited Wishaw General maternity unit to meet babies born on the same day as the anniversary of our health service, and took the opportunity to point out what the Scottish Government is doing to improve health in Scotland.

Mr Neil said: “I am absolutely committed to the founding values of our NHS. I can promise that while this Government is in charge it will be free at point of access for everyone, and as we move towards the historic moment of the 2014 referendum, I can guarantee that independence will help maintain Scotland’s NHS as the wonderful institution it is today.

“Today, Scotland’s NHS is a both a tribute to the kind of society Scotland is, and the kind of society we must continue to aspire to be. Anyone who comes for treatment will get the care they need – regardless of whether they are rich or poor. That is the embodiment of a just and equitable society.

“But this isn’t just about the institution that is the Health service. It’s about the health of our people. Health inequalities blight Scottish society. It is simply not good enough that someone’s life expectancy should depend on where they are born, or the income of their parents.

“Where can act, we have. We’ve banned smoking in public places. We are tackling excessive drinking and will introduce a minimum price for alcohol. But the main levers to tackle the kind of poverty that is a driver of health inequality remain in the hands of London Governments.

“The recent welfare cuts are just the latest example of this. With our population ageing, and pressures on the health service growing significantly, we need to be allowed to take control of the levers needed to tackle poverty and with it finally rid Scotland of health inequalities.”