Press
‘Strain on urgent and emergency care increasingly causing harm’ – SAM president (13 June 2024)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (13 June) which showed, among other things, that one in 10 patients attending emergency departments in May waited 12 hours or more and 53.3% of patients who were ready to be discharged from hospitals were unable to be due to a lack of social care provision,…
Read More‘Health MOTs in A&Es will not stop patients languishing in corridors’ says SAM past president (12 June 2024)
Commenting on NHS England’s announcement that hospitals will be asked to deliver health MOTs to older patients presenting with frailty-related conditions in emergency departments, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “It is often too late once a patient is already in an emergency department and this will not…
Read MorePatients in corridors ‘appalling and trajectory terrifying’ (09 June 2024)
Commenting on the Liberal Democrats’ plans to tackle ambulance delays ahead of the official launch of the party’s general election manifesto 2024, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Even though the election is being run during summer months, thousands of acute medical patients have been languishing in hospital…
Read More‘NHS has slipped inexorably into eternal winter’ – SAM past president (09 May 2024)
Commenting on the latest NHS performance data released today (09 May) which showed, among other things, that one patient in every 10 who attended an emergency department in April waited 12 hours or more, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS has slipped inexorably into a state…
Read More‘Figures indicative of anticipated and entirely predictable winter crisis’
Following the release today (22 February) of the latest weekly NHS performance data, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “These latest figures are indicative of the anticipated and entirely predictable winter crisis which continues to intensify and, as we have warned previously, has not yet peaked. “The increasing number…
Read MoreVirtual wards ‘not a panacea’ says SAM past president
In response to an enquiry from The Guardian regarding virtual wards, Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “NHS urgent and emergency care is under unbearable strain; strain that is increasingly causing harm to patients. “Emergency department overcrowding and stasis in acute medical units prevents timely and high-quality care…
Read More‘Bed capacity nowhere near meeting demand’ – SAM president elect
Following today’s announcement by NHS England (25 January) that it has delivered on its ambition of 5,000 more permanent beds, Dr Vicky Price, president elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “While this announcement is positive and important, it will be some time before patients and staff feel any improvement on the shop floor.…
Read More‘Current state of turmoil in urgent care services’ – SAM past president
The latest NHS performance data (December) released today (11 January) shows, among other things: •69.4% of patients were seen within four hours in all A&E departments in December compared to 69.7% in November 2023 and 65.2% in December 2022. The 95% standard was last met in July 2015. •There were 148,000 four-hour delays from decision…
Read MoreSignificant patient harm and trauma likely across NHS in coming weeks
Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, has warned the next few weeks will see an increasing number of patients suffering significant harm and trauma as “predictable perfect storms” push the NHS into turmoil. He said long queues of ambulances outside hospitals and prolonged periods of corridor care were “inevitable”…
Read More‘Urgent and emergency care services entering survival mode’ says SAM past president
The latest NHS performance data released today (14 December) shows, among other things: * 69.7% of patients were seen within 4 hours in all A&E departments this month compared to 70.2% in October 2023 and 69.0% in November 2022. The 95% standard was last met in July 2015. * There were 146,000 four-hour delays from…
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