Press Releases

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…

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…

Commenting on the publication today (30 January) of NHS England’s 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance, Dr Nick Murch, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The current situation is dire. The summer was spent largely at winter levels of pressure and, unsurprisingly, when we entered winter hospitals were overrun.  “There is nothing new in the…

Commenting in the Mail on Sunday (18 Jan) on an investigation which found hundreds of people are being hospitalised after suffering serious reactions to weight loss drugs, Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The Society for Acute Medicine warned last year about the number of patients attending hospitals with complications…

Commenting today (11 January) on analysis of NHS England data by the Liberal Democrats which showed there were a record 518,213 waits of 12 hours or more in emergency departments in 2024, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The alarming issue of long delays in emergency departments has…

Commenting on the release today (09 January) of the latest NHS monthly performance data, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “This data, which shows 12-hour waits in emergency departments up 23.6% on last year at more than 54,000, further illustrates the appalling extent of the current winter crisis.…

Commenting on pressures across the NHS this week (08 January), Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS and social care services remain under immense pressure with many colleagues reporting this is the worst it has ever been in their hospitals. “Each part of the system continues to…

Commenting on the release today (Friday, 03 January 2025) of the latest weekly NHS data, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The “quad-demic” has entirely predictably plunged many hospitals into critical incident.  “The lack of bed capacity with hospitals being overstretched throughout the year means there was no…

Writing in the BMJ, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine warns another winter of discontent looms for NHS urgent and emergency care. www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r6?_gl=11g1odfo_upMQ.._gs*MQ..&gbraid=0AAAAADo8aFII82NIzGQCF1AgS5Uxv1IjI