Following the release today (15 February) of the latest weekly NHS performance figures, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS finds itself in an eternal winter. The pressures throughout the system are perfectly and bleakly illustrated in urgent and emergency care where patients experience appalling conditions and prolonged waits.
“There is insufficient workforce and capacity to meet the demands of an increasingly ageing population with multiple health issues with simply no resilience to cope with any excess strain.
“The extra cases of flu have meant many hospitals have fallen into critical incidents. This is the new normal.
“A period of pre-election stasis could worsen this as we are in an emergency that needs action now.
“Patients and staff will continue to be gravely impacted and, worryingly, some people who need urgent treatment may delay seeking care.”