Position Statements
Reduced flu vaccine uptake among healthcare staff and older people “worrying” says SAM president (30 November)
Commenting in The Sunday Telegraph on the reduced uptake in flu vaccinations among healthcare staff and older people, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The apparent reduced uptake in the vaccine for influenza amongst both health care professionals and at risk individuals is somewhat worrying. “It may suggest an element…
Read More‘Urgent and emergency care survey lays bare scale of the challenge’ – SAM president (21 November)
Commenting on findings from a Care Quality Commission survey of more than 45,500 people who used NHS urgent and emergency care (UEC) services in 2024, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The fact two-thirds of patients reported waiting more than four hours and subsequently had worse than average experiences in all…
Read More‘Staff heading into the coming months with trepidation and concern’ – SAM president (18 November)
Commenting on a report released today (18 November) by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine which found nine out of 10 UK A&E clinicians said they aren’t confident that their departments will cope well this winter and 94% think that patients are being put at risk due to the pressures currently being experienced, Dr Nick…
Read More‘Data shows desperate need for government to turn attention to threat of winter’ says SAM president-elect (14 November)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (14 November), Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This data shows there is a desperate need for the government to turn its attention to the threat of winter and the actions it needs to take to reduce the impact of the…
Read More‘Government league table reforms could have significant detrimental effect’ – SAM president (13 November)
Commenting on an announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care about the introduction of a new league table of NHS providers among other reforms being outlined today (13 November), Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS continues to find itself in an eternal crisis with no light…
Read More‘Need action not words on NHS’ – SAM president (26 October)
Commenting on polling for The Daily Telegraph that has found patients are avoiding NHS services (26 October), Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “It is worrying to hear a trend that patients may be avoiding NHS services due to perceived long waits, but it is understandable given the scenes portrayed in…
Read More‘Urgent social care investment needed in immediate period’ says SAM past president (25 October)
Commenting ahead of the upcoming Budget, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said (25 October): “We need to get a position where capacity is able to meet demand and that will only be possible through tackling the workforce and estates issues that currently exist and are impeding the ability…
Read More‘Urgent and emergency care services critically overloaded’ says SAM president-elect (24 October)
The British Geriatrics Society has today (24 October) warned of its grave concerns about the impact of the winter months on the health and wellbeing of older people and has proposed seven evidence-based actions to the government that will make a sustainable difference. These have been backed by 22 organisations including the Society for Acute…
Read More‘Shocking data shows dangers that lie ahead’ – SAM president (23 October)
Commenting on new data uncovered by the Liberal Democrats which revealed more than one million patients faced waits of 12 hours or more in A&E in England so this year (23 October), Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This is shocking data which provides further evidence of the dangers that…
Read More‘NHS continues in eternal winter with no light at end of the tunnel’ says SAM immediate past president (20 October)
Commenting on health secretary Wes Streeting’s suggestion on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that hospitals could be penalised/have extra funding withheld if they are not seen as being productive enough, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS continues to find itself in an eternal crisis with no…
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