Press Releases
Long 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…
Read More‘Good performance should not simply mean lower admission rates’ – SAM president (13 May)
Commenting in the HSJ on analysis which shows around 15 per cent of emergency admissions at some trusts are potentially avoidable, Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Variation in potentially avoidable admissions between trusts is likely to reflect a combination of factors, including local access to alternatives such as same…
Read MoreSAM president: NHS stuck in state of ‘permawinter’ (16 April)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (16 April), Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “These figures suggest the NHS is now stuck in a state of ‘permawinter’, where pressures no longer ease as winter ends. “We are heading into spring and summer with urgent care services still…
Read MoreSAM in Wales: Fixing hospital flow, reforming social care and protecting patients must be central to Senedd election (06 April)
The Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) in Wales is calling on all political parties to make urgent reform of acute and emergency care a central focus as the 2026 Senedd election next month (7 May) draws closer. Recent work from partner organisations has highlighted the severe consequences of front-door overcrowding and dangerous delays. The Royal College…
Read More‘Sustained and unsafe pressures with long waits normalised’ – SAM president (12 March)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (12 March), Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “These figures once again show hospitals operating under sustained and unsafe pressure, and there is a growing concern that very long waits are becoming normalised within the system. “When the focus shifts to…
Read More12-hour wait data “shows situation is worsening” – SAM president (12 February)
Commenting on the release today (12 February) of the latest NHS performance data which shows 71,517 patients were delayed over 12 hours in emergency departments (2,307 decision to admit delays over 12 hours per day which is an increase of 16.2% from January 2025), Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:…
Read MoreData shows system “stretched beyond safe limits” – SAM president (15 January)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data published today (15 January), Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Today’s data shows more than 50,700 patients waited over 12 hours from the decision to admit to actually reaching a bed – an increase on the previous month and equivalent to more than…
Read MoreServices to prevent hospital admissions “must be protected not cut” – SAM president (12 January)
Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, features in a BBC News in-depth feature published today (12 January) on the impact of delayed discharges on patients, clinicians and the NHS. She also featured on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme (starts 2:46:20). Dr Price’s comments in full: “There has been lots of good work done [to…
Read MoreSAM president sounds alarm over government’s focus on ‘online hospitals’ while patients suffer “unprecedented harm” (08 January)
Society for Acute Medicine president Dr Vicky Price has raised concerns over the government’s focus on future digital developments such the NHS online hospital initiative while patients seeking emergency care are suffering “unprecedented harm”. She said while developments to reduce waits for some patients are welcome, there is “no excuse” for failing to acknowledge and…
Read More