‘Urgent and emergency care plan won’t prevent corridor care’ warns SAM past president (06 June)

Commenting on the launch today (06 June) of the government’s urgent and emergency care plan, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “While it is refreshing to see an announcement of some kind about the urgent and emergency care plan, it is simply not going to prevent corridor care for the foreseeable future.

“The reason is social care remains unaddressed and patients who are left receiving care in corridors are older, sicker acute medical patients who are not suitable for same day emergency care or urgent treatment centres.

“This means the exit block – when patients cannot be moved into a hospital bed – won’t be removed and, therefore, patients will continue to require corridor care.

“While it is true that the number of people treated in under four hours will improve with SDEC and UTCs, the major concern is that many people will still receive degrading care with increased risk of harm.

“Shifting care into the community is a laudable aim but there are insufficient resources to enable this to happen which makes it a faux promise.

“There is a real concern here that we are still missing the fundamental actions needed and the government is too focused on short-term quick wins to deliver effective and lasting change.”