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A&E facing serious problem, health minister admits | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
A&E departments are facing a "serious problem", a health minister has said, after NHS chiefs ordered urgent action to tackle growing pressures. | |
Rising attendances have meant A&E units in England have started struggling to hit the four-hour waiting time target. | |
The problem has got so bad that NHS England has pledged extra money to help hospitals that are struggling. | |
But Health Minister Anna Soubry warned there would be "no quick and easy solution". | |
She said: "We have a serious problem, we've had a problem for a while. | |
"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. |
'Market failure' | 'Market failure' |
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. |
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. | |
Extra money is 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. |