Position Statements
Less than half of acute and emergency staff satisfied with protective equipment
Less than half of acute and emergency staff are satisfied with the personal protective equipment (PPE) supplied to them to as part of the NHS COVID-19 response. A snapshot survey conducted by the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) found only 42 per cent said they felt they had the right – or enough – PPE…
Read MoreCOVID 19: ‘Biggest concern I have is staff’ says SAM past president
As cases of coronavirus increase across the UK, Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, comments on the government response, pressures on the NHS and staffing. “To date, the government response has been to tread the fine line between preparing for the worst but trying not to cause mass panic…
Read MoreSAM president warns of “grave concerns” as coronavirus escalates
Dr Susan Crossland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “While staff across the NHS are pulling out all the stops to manage the coronavirus problem in hospitals and will continue to, there is no doubt it will escalate significantly over the coming weeks and months and there are grave concerns as to how…
Read MoreSAM president says coronavirus plans “working well” but major outbreak would bring “immense stress”
In response to questions about the ability of the NHS to manage a widespread outbreak of coronavirus, Dr Susan Crossland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “Rightly so the government, Public Health England and the NHS are working hard to manage the coronavirus situation and that co-ordination has been working well for the…
Read MorePerformance data shows system “teetering on brink” – SAM past president
Following the release today of NHS performance data for January, Dr Nick Scriven, past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The fact the NHS is teetering on the brink is now such common knowledge that it is no longer a shock to see continuous failure to meet performance targets and even today, with…
Read MoreNHS green initiative ‘a step in the right direction’ says SAM past president
NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has announced the NHS and its staff will step up action to tackle the climate “health emergency” this year with the aim of helping to prevent illness, reduce pressure on A&E departments and save lives. The initiative follows the launch of the Climate Assembly UK last week, which will…
Read MoreSAM warns changing targets for political expediency “plain wrong”
Following comments made today by health secretary Matt Hancock regarding potentially removing the four-hour emergency access target, SAM president Dr Susan Crossland and immediate past president Dr Nick Scriven raised their concerns. Dr Crossland said: “Potentially scrapping the target because it is no longer being met shows the disregard this current government has for improving…
Read MoreSAM calls for “urgent” government action on NHS following latest data release
Following the release today of NHS performance data for December, which showed 79.8% of patients spent less than four hours in A&E, Dr Susan Crossland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “We can honestly say that acute care is facing pressures the like of which we have never seen and the huge jump…
Read MoreMedics say NHS same day emergency care plan for winter ‘grossly derailed’
Senior medics have said an NHS plan designed to improve urgent care and ease pressure on hospitals this winter has been “grossly derailed”. In March, NHS England announced every major hospital would provide same day emergency care (SDEC) – also know as ambulatory emergency care – by the end of the year as part of…
Read MoreSAM issues winter briefing as NHS faces “most pressure it has ever seen”
Following the release today of the latest weekly NHS winter sitrep data and the Queen’s Speech, the Society for Acute Medicine has issued a winter briefing on the current state of the health service and the action required to alleviate pressure. Within the report, Dr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute…
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