Leading A&E doctors across the UK have raised concerns about the pressures emergency departments will face this winter, with just 3% saying they are well prepared for the colder months. Overcrowding, corridor care and a looming surge in demand are “creating perfect conditions for a terrible winter”, according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).
Survey reveals widespread concern
The RCEM’s latest survey of 163 doctors in charge of A&E departments across the UK found that more than nine in 10 (92%) described current pressure as either high or very high, while 88% said they are under greater strain now than this time a year ago. Around nine in 10 (91%) told the poll they were very or extremely worried about pressures in the coming months.
Dr Ian Higginson, president of the RCEM, said: “Overcrowding, corridor care, the impending surge of demand from winter, and lack of meaningful preparations, are creating perfect conditions for a terrible winter.” He added: “Colleagues from across the four nations have been crystal clear: we are not managing now and we simply are not ready for winter.”
Corridor care and 12-hour waits on the rise
The latest NHS England data shows there was an average of 3,310 patients who received corridor care each day in September, with 2,549 in A&E departments and 761 in other hospital areas. This is up from an average of 2,865 per day in August, made up of 2,297 in emergency departments and 568 in other areas.
Meanwhile, the number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted stood at 50,582 in September, up from 44,951 in August.
England-specific findings
Of the 119 responses gathered from A&E clinical leads in England, almost nine in 10 (89%) described pressure at the moment as high or very high. Almost two-thirds (65%) said emergency departments are under more pressure now than a year ago, while 97% warned that A&Es are not well prepared for winter. Meanwhile, 60% described their emergency department as actively unsafe.
Dr Higginson said: “With year-round pressure hitting departments, the vast majority of us have no spare capacity to help deal with the cold months.” He also warned: “We need governments from all four nations to step up, heed our warning – and act now. Not in a few years, or even a few months – now.”
The RCEM has written directly to Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to express its concerns and make recommendations. It comes after she warned that the NHS faces a more challenging winter than normal, as she announced a £140 million boost for urgent care in England.
