Medics warn that the NHS faces a ‘winter of misery’ after one of the worst summers on record
Official figures show that a record 333,000 patients waited more than 12 hours in A&E as admissions jumped by more than a fifth in a decade
THE NHS faces another “winter of misery” after one of the worst summers on record, leading medics have warned.
Senior doctors said they had “grave concerns” about whether the health service will cope with demand this winter, after it struggled to deal with pressures caused by the summer heatwave.
A record 333,000 patients waited for 12 hours or more at A&E departments in England in 2017/18, as admissions jumped by more than a fifth in a decade, official figures show.
And fewer emergency patients with serious conditions were seen within the four-hour target this summer than in any previous three-month period.
A record low of cancer patients received treatment on time in July, with only 78 per cent starting treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral, compared to the 85 per cent target.
Nearly 28,000 cancer patients had to wait more than two months for treatment in the year to July while 11,000 waited at least three months.
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Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The system is under more pressure than ever. As we move closer to winter, there are grave concerns as to the ability of the NHS to cope.”
President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Taj Hassan, said: “We will be entering autumn and winter in a very fragile state with little room for manoeuvre unless more urgent action is taken.”
Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth MP, said: “The response from health ministers to the summer heatwave was utterly complacent and now we see it was the worst summer on record for the NHS."
The Department of Health said: “We’re supporting staff with £145million this winter to redevelop A&Es and free up beds.”
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