The Health Foundation have likewise argued illnesses such as the flu and sickness bugs didn’t solely plunge out NHS into ‘distress’.
Every year as we emerge out of winter and into brighter and longer days, headlines begin to emerge detailing how bleak the colder months were on the NHS. This year is no different.
A new report from The Health Foundation shows A&E wait times, specifically for people waiting to be admitted to a ward following a decision, were the highest on record. Numbers topped 60,000 in January and 11% of emergency admissions.
Disturbingly, a familiar problem also remains as acute as ever – delays discharging patients form hospital who are able to leave. Experts revealed this growing issue is making bottlenecks worse in A&E for ambulances attempting to hand over patients. These delays, according to the report, were worse this winter than previous ones.
Though they aren’t the only reason pressures soared, authors acknowledged that some illnesses contributed to harsh conditions. Flu cases this year were higher than usual but no worse than in the winter of 2022-23.
What’s more, norovirus cases also increased this year. However, admissions for the virus RSV remained similar to previous winters but cases of COVID-19 remained significantly low.
‘This winter saw many harrowing accounts of patients being treated in uncomfortable, undignified and unsafe conditions and NHS staff working in near-impossible circumstances to deliver care,’ Francesca Cavallaro, senior analytical manager at the Health Foundation told Social Care Today. ‘Attributing these problems to external factors, like winter illnesses and more people going to A&E, risks offering false comfort about the resilience of the health service. Winter pressures are inevitable, but an annual NHS crisis does not have to be.’
‘This analysis should be a wake up call to the government to focus on the underlying issues contributing to the escalating winter crises the NHS has experienced since 2010. These issues include increasing hospital capacity, improving staff morale and improving capacity in social care and community services to help reduce discharge delays,’ she added.
Meanwhile, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has claimed positive change is due soon for the NHS. This comes in the form of the government’s 10-year health plan and emergency care plan.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Social Care remarked technology could help the NHS in future winters. Ministers revealed the number of hospitals in England allowing patients to view appointments through the NHS app had exceeded targets. The goal was originally set at 85% but the outcomes was 87% – up from 68% last July.
The full report from the Health Foundation can be found here.
Image supplied via Shutterstock
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