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NHS chiefs demand urgent action to tackle A&E pressures A&E facing serious problem, health minister admits
(about 4 hours later)
Health service chiefs have demanded urgent action to tackle the growing pressures on A&E departments. A&E departments are facing a "serious problem", a health minister has said, after NHS chiefs ordered urgent action to tackle growing pressures.
NHS England has given regional health bosses until the end of the month to come up with plans to tackle problems. Rising attendances have meant A&E units in England have started struggling to hit the four-hour waiting time target.
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. The problem has got so bad that NHS England has pledged extra money to help hospitals that are struggling.
The Care Quality Commission said another Stafford Hospital scandal was being risked because of the problems. But Health Minister Anna Soubry warned there would be "no quick and easy solution".
In recent months the NHS has been struggling to hit its four-hour waiting time target. She said: "We have a serious problem, we've had a problem for a while.
Reports have emerged of hospitals setting up temporary waiting areas in car parks and storerooms to cope with queues. "If you look at the number of people presenting to A&E it's grown by a million in just the last year.
"And unfortunately unless we take urgent action, which we've been doing, it's a problem which will grow. It's very complicated. There is no quick and easy solution."
In recent months reports have emerged of hospitals setting up temporary waiting areas in car parks and storerooms to cope with queues.
Ambulances have also been forced to wait to drop off patients.Ambulances have also been forced to wait to drop off patients.
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.
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.
"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''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. The situation prompted the Care Quality Commission to issue a stark warning about the future of A&E.
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."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.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."
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 that 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 said that people had lost confidence in the services provided when their GP surgery was not open. Soon after the CQC warning was made, NHS England announced it was asking regional health bosses to work together to ensure plans are in place for each A&E in their patch by the end of the month.
"We have out-of-hours care that too often falls down," he said. Extra money is being made available where problems are identified.
"People end up with the default option of A&E because there is nothing else that they are confident in." 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.
"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.