The NHS is in a 'perilous' state and would struggle to cope with a second pandemic, top doctors have warned. Overcrowded emergency departments, rising corridor care, and soaring waiting lists mean hospitals are less resilient than before the Covid-19 crisis, health leaders say.
Dr Ian Higginson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said he had seen 'little evidence' of planning for the next pandemic. 'Our hospitals are in a much more perilous state than they were before the last pandemic,' he told The Independent. 'It doesn't take much to bring a hospital to its knees currently.'
Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society of Acute Medicine, warned that wards are more stretched than in 2019, routinely taking on more patients than beds. 'If you have a condition that's just like Covid-19, it will be a disaster for all the patients and staff,' she said.
Dr Shondipon Laha, president of the Intensive Care Society, said lessons from the pandemic had been lost 'very rapidly'. He noted that the national system to highlight empty critical care beds was no longer in use, and some trusts are considering reducing ICU bed numbers due to financial pressures.
Professor Mumtaz Patel, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said the 'completely broken' social care sector was adding to strain. She added that while the college had held internal workshops on pandemic planning, she had not seen system-wide preparedness. 'I do feel that preparedness is not there,' she said.
The warnings come ahead of the Covid inquiry's latest report, expected to detail harrowing scenes on intensive care wards, including staff running out of body bags. Doctors also highlighted increased staff burnout and fatigue compared to 2020, raising concerns about the NHS's ability to respond to future major pressures.
