Commenting on a report by the Press Association about a rise in the number of people attending A&Es with sore throats, insomnia, coughs and earache, Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Long waiting lists mean patients will often be unable to tolerate symptoms necessitating them to access urgent and emergency care.
“Further, long waiting lists understandably significantly reduce patient faith in being able to access services in a timely manner and so utilise acute care services.
“This adds to the overwhelming pressure on an extremely overstretched urgent care system and undoubtedly will increase appalling and intolerable experiences for emergency patients this winter.
“Mitigation is possible and it is essential that action is taken that helps restore the confidence of patients and staff over the next few months.”