“Carrying an existing crisis into winter” – SAM president (20 October)

Commenting on a survey published today (20 October 2026) by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) which found 150 of the UK’s leading A&E doctors have said they are very worried about the pressure that Emergency Departments will face this winter, Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:

“The concerns raised by A&E doctors are shared by those of us working in acute medicine, but describing the pressures facing the NHS this winter as a ‘perfect storm’ risks suggesting they are unexpected or unavoidable. We are not heading into a winter crisis. We are carrying an existing healthcare crisis into winter.

“The reality is that these problems have been building for years. An ageing population with increasingly complex health needs, shortages in community and social care, and hospitals operating at high occupancy mean patients are struggling to move through the system. None of this should come as a surprise.

“When hospital wards are full, acute medical units become holding areas, A&E departments become overcrowded and corridors become treatment spaces. We are not creating capacity – we are simply moving the crisis from one part of the hospital to another.

“If corridor care is part of the NHS winter plan, the plan has already failed.

“Acute medical units and Same Day Emergency Care services must be protected so they can rapidly assess and treat patients, helping them return home safely where possible or move to the right hospital ward when admission is needed.

“We cannot keep treating predictable pressures as unexpected emergencies. What is needed is sufficient staffed hospital capacity, effective discharge pathways and properly supported community and social care services to keep patients moving safely through the system.

“Patients deserve better than another winter of unacceptable waits and care in corridors.”