Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (14 November), Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This data shows there is a desperate need for the government to turn its attention to the threat of winter and the actions it needs to take to reduce the impact of the inevitable crisis we will face in hospitals over the coming months.
“We have grave concerns that focus is being placed in the wrong areas, with talk about the introduction of league tables, penalties and consultations distracting from the pressing need to deliver meaningful solutions on the ground right now.
“There is real frustration among staff who are working tirelessly every day to deliver good care in very difficult circumstances that, instead of facing the frontline problems during what we know will be a tough winter, concerns are not being addressed adequately.
“Short-term target chasing rarely leads to improvements as while figures may look better, what goes on behind the scenes to hit a target will often adversely affect patient care – the four-hour A&E target is a prime example of this.
“While nationally we talk about the 10-year plan, the stark reality as things stand is that we need a 10-day plan to begin to fix things for our patients who are coming in and receiving degrading corridor care which we know is associated with increased mortality – it’s a dreadful situation for patients and a frustrating one for staff.
“That is evident again this month with the number of patients delayed over 12 hours in emergency departments at 49,592, which is up by 13.9% on the same time last year and up from 38,880 last month.
“However, instead of looking at ways to penalise and shame struggling hospitals, we call on the government to look urgently at social care provision and delayed discharges of medically fit patients which is the root cause of many hospitals’ issues yet remains the elephant in the room when it comes to the NHS.”