“13% rise in 12-hour waits should set alarm bells ringing” – SAM president (08 October)

Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (08 October) Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “A 13% year-on-year rise in 12-hour emergency department waits as winter approaches should set alarm bells ringing.

“More than 50,000 patients waited over 12 hours from the decision to admit to admission in September – 1,686 people every day. There is still no breathing space for urgent and emergency care.

“These are not just numbers. They represent vulnerable people who are waiting far too long for a bed and staff trying to deliver safe care in overcrowded emergency departments and acute medical units under relentless pressure.

“Long waits are a symptom of poor flow across the whole hospital and wider health and care system. With winter approaching, there can be no reliance on marginal improvements or short-term fixes.

“We have put five immediate priorities to the Secretary of State: sufficient staffed hospital capacity, effective seven-day discharge pathways, protection for acute medical units and Same Day Emergency Care, a strong multidisciplinary workforce, and community health and social care services able to support people before and after hospital.

“The solutions are well understood. What is now needed is sustained action to ensure patients can move safely through and out of hospital, rather than another winter in which unacceptable waits are normalised.”