Commenting on the release today of the latest NHS performance data, which shows among other things that 28,756 patients waited more than 12 hours in A&E from decision to admit to admission in August, Dr Susan Crossland, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM), said: “There remains no quick fix for the problems in the NHS and we need to prepare for an honest discussion about just how awful this winter is going to be.
“We urge the new health secretary to deliver action not soundbites and set out an immediate and comprehensive plan to increase workforce and capacity.
“This must be her priority with autumn and winter around the corner and a likely further wave of Covid combined with the flu season and the threat of the implications of fuel poverty hanging over us.
“The reality at present is that the public can’t be assured of high quality and timely care and, although they can be assured all frontline staff will continue to do their best, that is simply not enough.”
SAM is the national representative body for the specialty of acute medicine, which deals with the immediate and early treatment of adult patients with a variety of medical conditions who present to hospital as emergencies.
The specialty receives the majority of patients admitted from A&E and helps maintain the flow of patients through emergency departments to avoid exit block, the term used when patients cannot be moved into a hospital bed.