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| A&Es 'not equipped to cope with winter' | A&Es 'not equipped to cope with winter' |
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| A&E units across the UK are not equipped to cope with the rising demands being seen this winter, emergency care doctors say. | A&E units across the UK are not equipped to cope with the rising demands being seen this winter, emergency care doctors say. |
| The warning has been made by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in its weekly update of A&E performance. | The warning has been made by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in its weekly update of A&E performance. |
| It showed nine in 10 hospitals are increasing bed numbers - but despite this they have problems seeing patients quickly enough and discharging them. | It showed nine in 10 hospitals are increasing bed numbers - but despite this they have problems seeing patients quickly enough and discharging them. |
| The RCEM weekly report provides a snapshot of performance. | |
| It covers more than 40 hospital trusts - one in five of the total. | |
| The NHS in winter: Want to know more? | The NHS in winter: Want to know more? |
| Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video | Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video |
| Nick Triggle: The lost beds problem | Nick Triggle: The lost beds problem |
| Hugh Pym: The Northern Ireland challenge | Hugh Pym: The Northern Ireland challenge |
| Winter across the UK: A guide to how the NHS is coping | Winter across the UK: A guide to how the NHS is coping |
| Video: Why hospitals are under so much pressure | Video: Why hospitals are under so much pressure |
| Video: How a hospital can grind to a halt | Video: How a hospital can grind to a halt |
| The update suggested that just over 86% of patients were seen and dealt with in four hours - below the 95% target. | |
| It also highlighted problems with delayed discharges - this is when hospitals cannot release patients because services or care are not available in the community. It said in some places a fifth of beds were being taken up by these patients. | It also highlighted problems with delayed discharges - this is when hospitals cannot release patients because services or care are not available in the community. It said in some places a fifth of beds were being taken up by these patients. |
| And it concluded that despite the best efforts of hospitals, winter was proving difficult and there was "insufficient capacity and capability" to respond to rising demand. | And it concluded that despite the best efforts of hospitals, winter was proving difficult and there was "insufficient capacity and capability" to respond to rising demand. |
| Meanwhile, official data from NHS England, which also covers last week but does not include how hospitals are performing against the four-hour target, revealed visits to A&E and emergency admissions remained high. | |
| Scotland is also providing weekly figures for its major A&E departments. It showed that up to the start of December just over 95% of patients were being seen in four hours. | Scotland is also providing weekly figures for its major A&E departments. It showed that up to the start of December just over 95% of patients were being seen in four hours. |
| The latest data available in Wales covers October and in Northern Ireland, November. Both nations are missing the four-hour A&E target. | The latest data available in Wales covers October and in Northern Ireland, November. Both nations are missing the four-hour A&E target. |
| Read more from Nick | Read more from Nick |
| Follow Nick on Twitter | Follow Nick on Twitter |