News
‘Ending corridor care must improve care, not simply change where patients wait’ – SAM president-elect (30 July)
Commenting on analysis published today (30 July) by the Nuffield Trust which shows that patients over 80 are worst affected by very long waits in emergency care, Dr Ragit Varia, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The Nuffield Trust’s analysis provides further evidence that prolonged waits for hospital admission have become normalised across…
Read MoreAcute Medicine Career & Capability Framework for Nurses
Today the Society for Acute Medicine is proud to share the release of the SAM Acute Medicine Nurse Capability Framework – Phase 1. Hannah Hegarty, SAM Nursing Representative I’m genuinely excited to share that from 27th July 2026, we’re launching the evaluation study for the SAM Acute Medicine Nurse Capability Framework – Phase 1. As…
Read MoreSAM welcomes early focus on winter planning, accountability and collaboration (17 July)
Commenting on the publication today (17 July) of NHS England’s ‘Winter planning 2026/27 – expectations and assurance’ letter, Dr Ragit Varia, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Health services do not experience pressure only in winter. Urgent and emergency care is under significant, sustained pressure throughout the year, with winter illnesses highly likely…
Read MoreVacancy: Member of the Acute Medicine Specialty Certificate Examining Board
The Society for Acute Medicine and the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK are seeking to appoint a member of the SCE Acute Medicine Examining Board. The successful applicant will assist the Chair and Medical Secretary in the running of the SCE to ensure that all academic objectives and standards set…
Read More“Unbearable conditions” for patients and staff as 12-hours waits rise by 28% (09 July)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today, Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Today’s figures, including 49,466 patients waiting more than 12 hours from the decision to admit to admission – up 28% on last year – show that urgent and emergency care is under severe and sustained…
Read More‘Acute medicine as a specialty has never been more important’: Future Healthcare Journal explores the future of NHS acute medical services
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published the latest issue of Future Healthcare Journal (FHJ) bringing together expert insight on the future of acute care in the NHS. Guest edited by consultant acute physician and Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) England representative Dr Anika Wijewardane, the June 2026 edition of FHJ focuses on how acute care must evolve to meet rising patient demand, workforce…
Read More‘Underlying problems remain unresolved’ – SAM president (11 June)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data published today (11 June), Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Just days after new analysis highlighted the devastating toll associated with long waits in emergency departments, today’s figures show that the underlying problems remain unresolved, with 50,212 patients waiting more than 12 hours…
Read More‘AI must be implemented within a safe, transparent and trusted framework’ – SAM president-elect (09 June)
Dr Ragit Varia, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, commented in The Guardian on the Medical Protection Society’s (MPS) call for the Government to address the “widening gulf” between the law and the rapidly evolving use of AI in healthcare. He said: “Artificial intelligence has enormous potential to support clinicians, improve patient flow and…
Read MoreLong wait death figures “a source of national shame” – SAM president (08 June)
Please find below statement from the Society for Acute Medicine relating to Royal College of Emergency Medicine analysis which shows the estimated number of deaths linked to long waits in Emergency Departments across England has surged almost tenfold over the past decade. Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “These figures are…
Read MoreHospice funding must be recognised as a patient flow and hospital safety issue, says Society for Acute Medicine (04 June)
The Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) has backed calls for immediate and sustainable funding for hospices, warning that pressures on palliative and community services are increasingly being felt across acute hospitals. SAM president Dr Vicky Price joined MPs, peers and representatives from across the health and care sector this week in delivering a letter to 10…
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