Patients suffering as direct result of NHS wait-time failures

Doctors speak out as figures show NHS England has recorded its worst ever performance

Patients are suffering as a direct result of the NHS’s inability to meet key waiting-time targets, doctors have warned.

Doctors’ leaders spoke out after figures showed that the NHS in England recorded its worst ever performance last month, including against the politically important four-hour A&E treatment target.

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A combination of factors are at play. Hospitals have fewer beds than last year, so they are less able to deal with the recent, ongoing surge in illness. Last week, for example, the bed occupancy rate at 17 of England’s 153 acute hospital trusts was 98% or more, with the fullest – Walsall healthcare trust – 99.9% occupied.

Continue reading... February 09, 2018 at 12:23AM