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| A&E crisis: Jeremy Hunt announces fundamental review of emergency care | A&E crisis: Jeremy Hunt announces fundamental review of emergency care |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has sought to defuse the row over the crisis in A&E by announcing a fundamental review of emergency care, conceding that "we have failed to give the public confidence that there's anything between GP surgeries and A&E". | |
| The review, which will result in action by next April, will focus on "vulnerable older people", who Hunt said were the heaviest users of the NHS. In an attempt to broaden discussion about the system's failings Hunt, speaking without notes at the annual NHS Confederation conference for health service managers, said A&E was a "barometer" of the NHS and admitted: "When things go wrong [it] tends to show up there." | |
| Earlier this week the King's Fund warned that waiting times for A&E patients had hit a nine-year high and the number of people waiting more than four hours to see a doctor had almost doubled since last year. | Earlier this week the King's Fund warned that waiting times for A&E patients had hit a nine-year high and the number of people waiting more than four hours to see a doctor had almost doubled since last year. |
| Hunt said the review, to be led by NHS England's medical director, Sir Bruce Keogh, would tie together the vexed issues of whether there should be closures of accident and emergency units across the country; how to get elderly patients out into the community to free up hospital beds; and how the GP contract could be altered to get family doctors to become accountable for the care of vulnerable older people outside A&E. | |
| Although Hunt maintained that Labour was to blame for the lack of alternatives to casualty departments through agreeing to a new contract with family doctors in 2004, which allowed them to opt out of working nights and weekends, he said it was "wrong to say it was only about the GP contract". | |
| The partial retreat came after Stephen Dorrell, the powerful Tory chair of the health select committee, publicly disagreed with the health secretary over linking the crisis in A&E departments to the GP contract. However, Hunt said there were "fundamental mistakes in the GP contract and if I want to change the contract then I have to say what they are". | The partial retreat came after Stephen Dorrell, the powerful Tory chair of the health select committee, publicly disagreed with the health secretary over linking the crisis in A&E departments to the GP contract. However, Hunt said there were "fundamental mistakes in the GP contract and if I want to change the contract then I have to say what they are". |
| While family doctors have offered to take back round-the-clock responsibility for some heavy users of NHS services, it is unclear whether this will be enough to meet the health secretary's determination to reform primary care. | While family doctors have offered to take back round-the-clock responsibility for some heavy users of NHS services, it is unclear whether this will be enough to meet the health secretary's determination to reform primary care. |
| Hunt acknowledged that politicians – including from his own party – have played their part in blocking hospital closures. The health secretary said he had marched to save his own local hospital in Surrey. But he said the mistake was to close down A&Es before there was a credible alternative in place. | Hunt acknowledged that politicians – including from his own party – have played their part in blocking hospital closures. The health secretary said he had marched to save his own local hospital in Surrey. But he said the mistake was to close down A&Es before there was a credible alternative in place. |
| "We politicians have to be responsible when it comes to hospital closures," said Hunt. "The NHS has failed to make the case but we need a way of making the case." | "We politicians have to be responsible when it comes to hospital closures," said Hunt. "The NHS has failed to make the case but we need a way of making the case." |
| In attempting to reorganise care, NHS bodies in at least 15 regions of England are pursuing major reconfiguration plans, many of which are being opposed by MPs from all the main parties. | |
| Last year, interventions by politicians over hospitals used by their constituents included opposition by the foreign secretary, William Hague, to plans to downgrade maternity and children's services and protests by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, and work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, about threats to A&E units. | Last year, interventions by politicians over hospitals used by their constituents included opposition by the foreign secretary, William Hague, to plans to downgrade maternity and children's services and protests by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, and work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, about threats to A&E units. |