‘Alarming the health secretary does not recognise current NHS crisis’ – SAM past president

In response to an interview with health secretary Victoria Atkins on BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “It was pleasing to hear Victoria Atkins affirm that she is prioritising supporting the winter crisis; but alarming that she does not recognise it as already being here. 

“Recovery plans for the NHS are already behind schedule in urgent and emergency care which will mean more older patients enduring prolonged degrading periods of corridor care and many people experiencing difficult symptoms whilst they sit on elective waiting lists.

“A deeper crisis this winter is sadly unavoidable. in urgent and emergency care with most hospitals already experiencing chaotic and dangerous scenarios. The recently published right place, right care report from senior frontline clinical staff is a stark illustration of what patients and staff experienced last winter and is a tragic preview to the next few months.

“Meaningful crisis talks with genuine output are critical both to deliver essential short-term mitigation and the long-term light at the end of the tunnel so desperately needed by patients and staff alike.”