Following the release today of the latest NHS performance data (14 January), Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:
“This data shows exactly how dire things are with millions of people waiting to start hospital treatment and 330,000 people waiting more than six weeks for key diagnostic tests, so the effects of Covid-19 will been seen for years to come and the impact on many individuals could be irreparable.
“But what is of particular note and concern for us in urgent care is that the attendances at emergency departments were higher than the peak in April and this data is well before the effects of the current wave will be seen – and this is against a backdrop of many hospitals being at capacity now.
“So whether you look at the here and now or the future, the challenges are truly daunting.”