Position Statements
‘12-hour waits signify profound failure within healthcare system’ says SAM president (06 May)
Commenting today (06 May) on the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s ‘Care of Older People 2023-24’, which showed more than a million older people faced waits of 12 hours or more in emergency departments in England last year, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This situation, where over a million older…
Read MoreHealth Foundation report “sends loud and clear message” about urgent and emergency care issues – SAM president (28 April)
Commenting on the release today (28 April) of the Health Foundation’s report Did the NHS experience record pressures this winter?, which found the NHS “performed far worse than before the pandemic”, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This report sends a loud and clear message about the issues in urgent…
Read More‘Significant rise in corridor care a national scandal’ says SAM past president (10 April)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (10 April), Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “It is imperative that today’s analysis of the latest NHS performance data focuses on the number of 12-hour delays in emergency departments. There has been a significant rise in the number…
Read More‘Confusion and uncertainty likely to exacerbate frustrations with NHS further’ says SAM president-elect (14 March)
Writing for The i Paper on the latest NHS performance statistics and the government’s announcement to abolish NHS England (14 March), Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Performance data released this week showed an expectedly bleak picture, particularly for the almost 48,000 patients who waited more than 12 hours in…
Read More‘NHS in permanent state of decline’ – SAM president (13 March)
Commenting on the release today (13 March) of the latest NHS performance data and the announcement of the decision to abolish NHS England, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS is in a permanent state of decline heading towards complete stasis. “The dire state of affairs we face is…
Read More‘Lack of action condemning patients to corridor care’ says SAM president (26 February)
Commenting on a survey by the Royal College of Physicians (26 February) which found 80% of UK doctors reported being forced to treat patients in unsafe spaces, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine said: “These findings, while shocking, are not unexpected as the issue of corridor care is one we and…
Read MoreSAM president-elect “deeply concerned” about mortality figures in patients using weight loss drugs (25 February)
Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, has today (25 February) reiterated concerns regarding the increasing number of patients being seen in hospital following the use of weight loss medications. She said: “We are deeply concerned about the latest figures published with respect to mortality in patients using these medicines, particularly as…
Read MoreSAM president warns of “worrying” trend of patients avoiding NHS urgent and emergency care services (23 February)
Commenting on polling for The Guardian which highlights high levels of public fear and alarm about NHS urgent and emergency care not being available they need it, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “It is worrying to hear a trend that patients may be considering avoiding NHS services due to…
Read More‘Data lays bare dire state of affairs’ – SAM past president (13 February)
Commenting on the release today (13 February) of the latest NHS performance data, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The latest performance data lays bare the dire state of affairs in the NHS with record numbers of patients waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments. “Nearly 2,000…
Read MoreAcute Medicine – Strengthening the Foundations
Acute medicine, founded in 2000, is a specialty which delivers immediate and early specialist management of adult patients requiring urgent or emergency care for one or more of a wide range of medical conditions. Patients cared for via an Acute Medical Unit (AMU) demonstrate a reduced length of stay and mortality with no increase in…
Read More