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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/04/theresa-may-changes-tack-to-apologise-for-postponed-operations
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| Theresa May changes tack to apologise for postponed operations | Theresa May changes tack to apologise for postponed operations |
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| Theresa May apologised to the tens of thousands of people affected by NHS England’s decision that hospitals should postpone non-urgent operations and outpatient clinics until the end of January to help hospitals cope with the surge in demand for care. | Theresa May apologised to the tens of thousands of people affected by NHS England’s decision that hospitals should postpone non-urgent operations and outpatient clinics until the end of January to help hospitals cope with the surge in demand for care. |
| The prime minister’s unprecedented apology came as new figures showed that 16,900 people – the highest number this winter – were stuck in the backs of ambulances waiting to enter an A&E unit and 24 patients died of flu last week after a sudden upsurge in sickness caused by the virus. The fatalities mean that 48 people have died of flu since the start of October – more than double the 23 who did so in the same period last year. | The prime minister’s unprecedented apology came as new figures showed that 16,900 people – the highest number this winter – were stuck in the backs of ambulances waiting to enter an A&E unit and 24 patients died of flu last week after a sudden upsurge in sickness caused by the virus. The fatalities mean that 48 people have died of flu since the start of October – more than double the 23 who did so in the same period last year. |
| May’s apology contrasted sharply with her stance on Wednesday when, although Hunt apologised for the inconvenience to patients from cancelled treatment, she was criticised for not doing so, instead maintaining that the NHS was the best prepared to withstand the rigours of winter than it had ever been. | May’s apology contrasted sharply with her stance on Wednesday when, although Hunt apologised for the inconvenience to patients from cancelled treatment, she was criticised for not doing so, instead maintaining that the NHS was the best prepared to withstand the rigours of winter than it had ever been. |
| The UK has fewer doctors and nurses than many other comparable countries both in Europe and worldwide. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Britain comes 24th in a league table of 34 member countries in terms of the number of doctors they have relative to their populations. Greece, Austria and Norway have the most; the three countries with proportionately the fewest medics are Turkey, Chile and Mexico. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, regularly points out that the NHS in England has more doctors and nurses than when the Conservatives came to power in 2010. That is true, although there are now fewer district nurses, mental health nurses and other types of health professionals. | The UK has fewer doctors and nurses than many other comparable countries both in Europe and worldwide. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Britain comes 24th in a league table of 34 member countries in terms of the number of doctors they have relative to their populations. Greece, Austria and Norway have the most; the three countries with proportionately the fewest medics are Turkey, Chile and Mexico. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, regularly points out that the NHS in England has more doctors and nurses than when the Conservatives came to power in 2010. That is true, although there are now fewer district nurses, mental health nurses and other types of health professionals. |
| NHS unions and health thinktanks point out that rises in NHS staff’s workloads have outstripped the increases in overall staff numbers. Hospital bosses say that understaffing is now their number one problem, even ahead of lack of money and pressure to meet exacting NHS-wide performance targets. Hunt has recently acknowledged that, and Health Education England, the NHS’s staffing and training agency, last month published a workforce strategy intended to tackle the problem. | NHS unions and health thinktanks point out that rises in NHS staff’s workloads have outstripped the increases in overall staff numbers. Hospital bosses say that understaffing is now their number one problem, even ahead of lack of money and pressure to meet exacting NHS-wide performance targets. Hunt has recently acknowledged that, and Health Education England, the NHS’s staffing and training agency, last month published a workforce strategy intended to tackle the problem. |
| Read a full Q&A on the NHS winter crisis | Read a full Q&A on the NHS winter crisis |
| On a visit to Frimley Park hospital in Camberley, Surrey on Thursday, the prime minister profusely thanked NHS staff for their hard work but refused to say if she believed the health service was in crisis. | On a visit to Frimley Park hospital in Camberley, Surrey on Thursday, the prime minister profusely thanked NHS staff for their hard work but refused to say if she believed the health service was in crisis. |
| But she said: “I recognise that it is difficult for people who are facing delays. I recognise that it is difficult if someone is delayed on their admission to hospital, or if somebody has an operation postponed. And we will hope to ensure that those operations can be reinstated as soon as possible. | But she said: “I recognise that it is difficult for people who are facing delays. I recognise that it is difficult if someone is delayed on their admission to hospital, or if somebody has an operation postponed. And we will hope to ensure that those operations can be reinstated as soon as possible. |
| “I know it’s difficult, I know it’s frustrating, and I know it’s disappointing for people, and I apologise,” she told Sky News. In all, 16,900 people – the highest number this winter – were stuck in the backs of ambulances waiting to enter an A&E unit to be assessed and treated in the week from Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve. | “I know it’s difficult, I know it’s frustrating, and I know it’s disappointing for people, and I apologise,” she told Sky News. In all, 16,900 people – the highest number this winter – were stuck in the backs of ambulances waiting to enter an A&E unit to be assessed and treated in the week from Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve. |
| The 24 people who died from flu last week were a big jump on the seven deaths across the UK in the week before Christmas and represented half of all those whose lives flu has claimed in the past 12 weeks. | The 24 people who died from flu last week were a big jump on the seven deaths across the UK in the week before Christmas and represented half of all those whose lives flu has claimed in the past 12 weeks. |
| The figures, released by Public Health England (PHE), underlined how flu is now adding significantly to the already heavy pressures on the NHS as it confronts a winter crisis that doctors and NHS bosses say is the worst for many years. | The figures, released by Public Health England (PHE), underlined how flu is now adding significantly to the already heavy pressures on the NHS as it confronts a winter crisis that doctors and NHS bosses say is the worst for many years. |
| Labour claimed that Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, had in effect admitted that the NHS’s predicament does constitute a crisis. Responding to remarks by ex-Labour prime minister Tony Blair, he tweeted: “Tony Blair’s memory is as selective in office as out of office: does he not remember his own regular NHS winter crises? Perhaps he was too focused on joining the euro to give his full attention to the NHS.” | Labour claimed that Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, had in effect admitted that the NHS’s predicament does constitute a crisis. Responding to remarks by ex-Labour prime minister Tony Blair, he tweeted: “Tony Blair’s memory is as selective in office as out of office: does he not remember his own regular NHS winter crises? Perhaps he was too focused on joining the euro to give his full attention to the NHS.” |
| Justin Madders, a shadow health minister, seized on Hunt’s comment, saying: “After coming out of hiding to offer a half-hearted apology yesterday, Jeremy Hunt’s guilty conscience has now resulted in an inadvertent admission to the winter crisis. Will the next stage on this journey of self-discovery include a realisation that he has been health secretary for the past five years and might therefore bear some responsibility for the current crisis?” | Justin Madders, a shadow health minister, seized on Hunt’s comment, saying: “After coming out of hiding to offer a half-hearted apology yesterday, Jeremy Hunt’s guilty conscience has now resulted in an inadvertent admission to the winter crisis. Will the next stage on this journey of self-discovery include a realisation that he has been health secretary for the past five years and might therefore bear some responsibility for the current crisis?” |
| The 114 people admitted to an intensive care or high dependency unit last week for flu symptoms means a total of 355 patients have required such help since October to treat potentially life-threatening problems. That is a big rise on the 246 who did so in the same 12 weeks last year. | The 114 people admitted to an intensive care or high dependency unit last week for flu symptoms means a total of 355 patients have required such help since October to treat potentially life-threatening problems. That is a big rise on the 246 who did so in the same 12 weeks last year. |
| Similarly, a total of 1,078 people have now been hospitalised with flu in England in the past 12 weeks – almost three times more than the 366 who had to be admitted over the same period in 2016-17. | Similarly, a total of 1,078 people have now been hospitalised with flu in England in the past 12 weeks – almost three times more than the 366 who had to be admitted over the same period in 2016-17. |
| The number of people consulting a GP with flu-like symptoms also shot up last week and is now running at what PHE said is “above seasonally expected levels”. | The number of people consulting a GP with flu-like symptoms also shot up last week and is now running at what PHE said is “above seasonally expected levels”. |
| However, Richard Pebody, PHE’s acting head of respiratory disease, played down the sudden increase in deaths. “Flu is an unpredictable virus with the timing of circulation and intensity of activity varying from season to season. This year, flu activity started to increase a couple of weeks ago, with an alert sent to the NHS on 19 December that flu was now circulating in the community and that antivirals could be prescribed for treating flu-like illnesses in the community,” he said. | However, Richard Pebody, PHE’s acting head of respiratory disease, played down the sudden increase in deaths. “Flu is an unpredictable virus with the timing of circulation and intensity of activity varying from season to season. This year, flu activity started to increase a couple of weeks ago, with an alert sent to the NHS on 19 December that flu was now circulating in the community and that antivirals could be prescribed for treating flu-like illnesses in the community,” he said. |
| While flu is usually mild, “in some unfortunate cases, particularly those such as the elderly or with underlying chronic health conditions, it can be more serious”. He renewed the agency’s call for those who have not yet been vaccinated to have the jab as soon as possible. | While flu is usually mild, “in some unfortunate cases, particularly those such as the elderly or with underlying chronic health conditions, it can be more serious”. He renewed the agency’s call for those who have not yet been vaccinated to have the jab as soon as possible. |
| Experts say that this year’s flu vaccine should protect against the influenza A (H3N2) strain of flu that has been wreaking havoc in Australia recently. | Experts say that this year’s flu vaccine should protect against the influenza A (H3N2) strain of flu that has been wreaking havoc in Australia recently. |
| Saffron Cordery, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said: “These figures confirm what trusts have been telling us about the increasing pressure they are experiencing as a result of flu. | Saffron Cordery, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said: “These figures confirm what trusts have been telling us about the increasing pressure they are experiencing as a result of flu. |
| “The growing impact of flu comes as services are already at or beyond full stretch. We will need to watch both the statistics and the impact on the ground very closely in the coming weeks.” | “The growing impact of flu comes as services are already at or beyond full stretch. We will need to watch both the statistics and the impact on the ground very closely in the coming weeks.” |