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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| A&E demand unsustainable - health watchdog David Prior | A&E demand unsustainable - health watchdog David Prior |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Levels of demand on NHS accident and emergency departments in England have been described as unsustainable by the head of the health service regulator. | Levels of demand on NHS accident and emergency departments in England have been described as unsustainable by the head of the health service regulator. |
| Care Quality Commission chairman David Prior said there was no guarantee that another disaster like that at Stafford Hospital could not happen in future. | Care Quality Commission chairman David Prior said there was no guarantee that another disaster like that at Stafford Hospital could not happen in future. |
| Hundreds of people are thought to have died after receiving poor care there. | Hundreds of people are thought to have died after receiving poor care there. |
| Mr Prior's comments came at a conference hosted by health think tank the King's Fund. | |
| 'Out of control' | 'Out of control' |
| Pressures on accident and emergency departments across the NHS in England have been increasing in recent months. | Pressures on accident and emergency departments across the NHS in England have been increasing in recent months. |
| The number of patients having to wait longer than the government's four-hour target before being admitted, treated or discharged increased. | |
| Mr Prior, who took over the running of the regulator in January, said attendance at accident and emergency departments was rising at an unsustainable rate. | Mr Prior, who took over the running of the regulator in January, said attendance at accident and emergency departments was rising at an unsustainable rate. |
| He added that there was no cast iron guarantee that there would not be a repeat of the situation at Stafford Hospital. | He added that there was no cast iron guarantee that there would not be a repeat of the situation at Stafford Hospital. |
| Mr Prior said: "Emergency admissions through accident and emergency are out of control in large parts of the country. That is totally unsustainable." | Mr Prior said: "Emergency admissions through accident and emergency are out of control in large parts of the country. That is totally unsustainable." |
| Mr Prior is also reported to have suggested the large-scale closure of hospital beds and investment in community services. | Mr Prior is also reported to have suggested the large-scale closure of hospital beds and investment in community services. |
| He added: "The patient or resident is the weakest voice in the system. It is a classic market failure - the user doesn't know nearly as much as the professionals, even with the internet." | He added: "The patient or resident is the weakest voice in the system. It is a classic market failure - the user doesn't know nearly as much as the professionals, even with the internet." |
| Lack of confidence | Lack of confidence |
| Mr Prior is not alone in proposing a radical shake-up of A&E services. | Mr Prior is not alone in proposing a radical shake-up of A&E services. |
| The College of Emergency Medicine, which represents casualty department doctors, believes between 15% and 30% of patients admitted could be treated elsewhere. | The College of Emergency Medicine, which represents casualty department doctors, believes between 15% and 30% of patients admitted could be treated elsewhere. |
| Care minister Norman Lamb told the same conference that people had lost confidence in the services provided when their GP surgery was not open. | |
| "We have out-of-hours care that too often falls down," he said. | "We have out-of-hours care that too often falls down," he said. |
| "People end up with the default option of A&E because there is nothing else that they are confident in." | "People end up with the default option of A&E because there is nothing else that they are confident in." |