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A&E demand unsustainable - health watchdog David Prior NHS chiefs demand urgent action to tackle A&E pressures
(about 5 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. Health service chiefs have demanded urgent action to tackle the growing pressures on A&E departments.
Care Quality Commission chairman David Prior said there was no guarantee that another disaster like that at Stafford Hospital could not happen in future. NHS England has given regional health bosses until the end of the month to come up with plans to tackle problems.
Hundreds of people are thought to have died after receiving poor care there. Emergency funds will be made available to help amid warnings from the regulator that hospitals will no longer be able to cope if demands keep rising.
Mr Prior's comments came at a conference hosted by health think tank the King's Fund. The Care Quality Commission said another Stafford Hospital scandal was being risked because of the problems.
'Out of control' In recent months the NHS has been struggling to hit its four-hour waiting time target.
Pressures on accident and emergency departments across the NHS in England have been increasing in recent months. Reports have emerged of hospitals setting up temporary waiting areas in car parks and storerooms to cope with queues.
The number of patients having to wait longer than the government's four-hour target before being admitted, treated or discharged increased. Ambulances have also been forced to wait to drop off patients.
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. NHS England said it now wants regional health bosses to work together to ensure plans are in place for each A&E in their patch, with extra money being made available where problems are identified.
He added that there was no cast iron guarantee that there would not be a repeat of the situation at Stafford Hospital. Prof Keith Willett, of NHS England, said: "When pressure builds across the health and social care system, the symptoms are usually found in the A&E department.
Mr Prior said: "Emergency admissions through accident and emergency are out of control in large parts of the country. That is totally unsustainable." "We need the whole NHS system, in the community and hospitals, to recognise the problems and help to relieve the pressure on their colleagues in A&E."
A review, led by medical director Sir Bruce Keogh, is already under way to address the issues in the long term.
'Market failure'
The announcement by NHS England came on the day the Care Quality Commission painted a dire picture of the pressure hospitals were under.
CQC chairman David Prior said: "Emergency admissions through accident and emergency are out of control in large parts of the country. That is totally unsustainable."
He added that there was no cast-iron guarantee that there would not be a repeat of the situation at Stafford Hospital.
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
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 that 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. Care Minister Norman Lamb said 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."