“Sustained pressure increases risk” – SAM immediate past president (27 September)

Commenting in an article in The Sun on a rise in clinical negligence claims against A&E departments, Dr Nick Murch, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Rising demand, overcrowding, long waits and staff shortages all create a more difficult environment in which to deliver safe, timely care.

“Reduced bed capacity can compound those pressures by leaving more patients waiting in emergency departments for longer, with already exhausted staff managing unsafe numbers of patients in areas not designed for prolonged care.

“Frontline staff are working extremely hard, but sustained pressure increases risk. The focus must therefore be on addressing the underlying workforce, capacity and patient flow problems.”