NHS CRISIS
Shocking video shows packed A&E where patients forced to wait over 7 hours to see a doctor
A SHOCKING video of an NHS waiting room has emerged - with patients having to wait over seven hours to see a doctor.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has already warned that the service needs updating.
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He branded it a “Blockbuster system in the age of Netflix”.
Now new footage has emerged showing the full extent of how hospitals are struggling to keep up with demand.
The clip was filmed on Monday at around 4pm at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust in Essex.
There are many patients sat around talking, when a nurse comes out to address them.
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She says: "We've currently got 170 patients in the department, so quite a few.
"There are 90 patients waiting to be seen at the moment. Our current wait time for a doctor is seven and a half hours.
"I will estimate that by time I go home in the morning at 8'o'clock, some of you will still be here waiting for a doctor - because the wait will get up to 13 hours."
The nurse then goes on to explain that there are no beds in the trust but that they are trying to make some room.
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She went on to add that if people are admitted - there is a chance they might have to stay in A&E for the night.
"We will make you comfortable, we will do out best and we will look after you.
"But please don't expect that you will be going straight to a ward as that might not happen."
For those feeling particularly unwell in the waiting room, she urged them to tell the staff at reception who would then revert back to medics.
She then asked relatives of patients to leave due to the fact that the area was running out of space and because the hospital was still trying to comply with social distancing where possible.
The shocking video, first published on comes after Javid remarked that large-scale changes were needed across the NHS.
Javid said the video 'wasn't what anyone wanted to see' after he was played the clip.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast earlier this week he said: "Because of the impact of Covid... we know already from our NHS estimates, we think some 11 to 13 million people stayed away from the NHS because of the pandemic.
"Many of those people are coming forward, many of those to A&E, and we're seeing very high levels of demand.
"That is a real challenge for the NHS across the system.
"What we're doing about it is investing record amounts including in ambulance trusts, the 111 calling service that now have more call handlers than ever before, we put in just last year additional emergency £400 million for A&E facilities across the country.
"So I think the NHS is doing everything it possible can be doing.
"The waiting times are improving but it's not what anyone wants to see, those kind of waits."
A report from ex-Army chief General Sir Gordon Messenger called for the biggest shake-up of leadership in decades.
The former Marine said pay hikes were needed to lure the best managers, speed up care and save cash in the long term.
He warned of a “lack of consistency” of standards, with “institutional inadequacy” when it comes to developing staff.
He also said GPs should be sent on management courses.
Sir Gordon found a blame culture and bullying in parts of the service.
He added: “A well-led, motivated, valued, collaborative, inclusive, resilient workforce is the key to better patient and public health outcomes.”
Mr Javid, determined tax hikes are not wasted, said: “Culture and leadership can be the difference between life and death.”
Stephanie Lawton, chief operating officer at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: "We are currently experiencing extremely high demand for our emergency care services and have seen a significant increase in attendances in our emergency department.
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"Our teams are working hard to assess and treat patients as quickly and effectively as possible to reduce delays, prioritising those in most clinical need.
"The public can help us to ease pressures by using the NHS 111 service for healthcare advice in non-urgent cases. As ever, please continue to call 999 or attend the emergency department for urgent and life-threatening emergencies."
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