By Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine “Just over a year ago we suggested that the NHS in England faced a ‘perfect’ storm. In the intervening period we have seen record increases in emergency department attendances, record numbers of patients who are fit to leave hospital but where there is no […]
MoreCommenting on a report broadcast today by the BBC which found only one of the UK’s 13 ambulance services is meeting the target to reach patients with life-threatening conditions within eight minutes, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This is a timely review of the pressures facing ambulances services across […]
MoreCommenting on today’s release of NHS performance data for the month of September, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Performance data for September again shows things are worse and the feedback from clinicians on the ground is that we are all struggling much earlier than in previous years. “At what […]
MoreFollowing today’s release of NHS England performance data for August 2016, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS is on its knees and, this winter, areas will implode around the country. There is no reserve left. “We coined the phrase eternal winter months ago in relation to increasingly poor performance […]
MoreFollowing health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s speech earlier today at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “It is very laudable to hear the health secretary announce a large increase in medical school places and repeat the government’s vision for a fully-functioning seven-day NHS. “But I […]
MoreA leading doctor has warned the NHS will see “pockets of meltdown” this winter as the system struggles to cope with growing pressure. Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said resilience was being “put to the test like never before”. He also said it was “essential” the discharge and social care […]
MoreToday’s NHS England’s performance data for July showed: 184,200 total delayed days in July 2016 compared to 147,400 in the same month last year 90.3% of patients were seen within four hours in all A&E departments compared to 95% in the same month last year 37,500 four-hour delays from decision to admit to admission compared to […]
MoreCommenting on figures released today by NHS England which show delays in discharging patients from hospital have risen 23% since June, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The Society for Acute Medicine has previously argued that we are now working in an eternal winter. During the summer months we should […]
MoreDr Mark Holland, President of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The Society for Acute Medicine has consistently asked for acute and emergency services to be judged by more sophisticated measures than the four-hour emergency access target. “However, downgrading the value of the four-hour target because of financial pressures in the NHS is wrong. The […]
MoreCommenting on the Royal College of Nursing’s call for the government to secure the future of EU nurses working in the UK, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “If it were not for health professionals from overseas, we would probably be unable to run any service – let alone a […]
MoreDr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “In 2015, the NCEPOD report ‘Just Say Sepsis’ showed that the specialty of acute medicine cares for over half of all patients admitted to hospitals with sepsis. “The Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) therefore welcomes the NICE guideline ‘Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management’. It goes without saying that we fully […]
MoreCommenting on the announcement junior doctors had rejected the government’s contract offer, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The rejection of the new contract by junior doctors is no surprise. Most people I spoke to were unhappy with the most recent proposal, although clearly the split of 58% against and […]
MoreCommenting on the National Audit Office report ‘Discharging older patients from hospital‘, Dr Mark Holland, president of Society for Acute Medicine (SAM), said: “This report will hopefully raise public awareness of an issue which, left unsolved, promises to totally destabilise the NHS. “More importantly, people need to start to join up the dots. Every month […]
MoreDr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “We welcome the news of an agreement on the junior doctors’ contract and are relieved both sides have come to an amicable understanding. “In acute internal medicine we will be interested to see the detail of the new contract. “We face significant issues with […]
MoreCommenting on the latest NHS performance data Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The record number of patients being cared for by frontline staff in acute and emergency settings again shows the remarkable dedication and resilience of the NHS’s clinical workforce. “However, the growing burden being placed on the front […]
MoreThe Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) has today called on senior medical leaders to “stand up” to health secretary Jeremy Hunt and hold the government to account ahead of next week’s planned industrial action by the British Medical Association. It has warned performance is already at “rock-bottom” and called the junior doctor contract issue a […]
MoreCommenting on the latest NHS performance data (February) released today by NHS England, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “When the Society for Acute Medicine raised concerns about the continued pressures facing the NHS following the release of the performance data for January, they were dismissed as “patent nonsense” by […]
MoreThe British Thoracic Society and Intensive Care Society have today published new national guidelines on the care of patients with life-threatening respiratory failure entitled Ventilatory Management of Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure Guideline. Commenting on the guidelines, Dr Nicholas Scriven, vice-president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “SAM was not invited to participate in the […]
MoreCommenting on the latest NHS performance data released today by NHS England, Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The latest NHS performance figures confirm what those of us working on the front line suspected, things are getting worse – and it is particularly concerning that this level of activity is […]
MorePlease find below a statement from the Society for Acute Medicine regarding the latest National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) sepsis report: Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM), said: “We wish to thank NCEPOD for undertaking this extremely important piece of work. “As highlighted, identifying patients with […]
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