NHS at breaking point as nearly 1.5m patients attend A&E in one month

National data revealed that nearly 1.5 million patients – 92,601 more than last year – visited A&E across England over the last month, an increase of nearly 7%.

Some areas saw much higher figures – for example, A&E units in the South East Coast region experienced a surge of 13.5%.

The figures were uncovered by a Nursing Times survey of all 10 strategic health authorities.

The increase in emergency admissions was mainly due to the cold weather over the Christmas and New Year period, NHS staff said.

An increase in respiratory conditions such as COPD and asthma, sparked by freezing conditions, was responsible for the rise, according to nurses and NHS staff.

Sian Thomas, director of NHS Employers, said: ‘Some hospitals have said that it has been the worst winter for nine or 10 years. The pressure is making it difficult to free up one single bed. When you are already working at 90–95% capacity, it has pushed people over the edge.

Elective operations may be cancelled at hospitals into February if the health service continues to come under pressure, said Ms Thomas.

‘Some hospitals will be looking at how to manage elective capacity into February. They are looking at sending elective patients to private sector hospitals. They might also be scaling back elective work or having that done somewhere else.

‘One hospital had a ward full of blocked beds – it may be about working with social care so that capacity can be freed up for people in real need of hospital care.’

Alan Dobson, RCN nurse adviser for acute and emergency care, said: ‘The pressure is going to take its toll. Where you have a 7.5% increase, and that continues, departments are going to be at breaking point. Staff become sick and that compounds the problem. It is an issue across the country.’

Mr Dobson added that the problem would get worse if the cold weather continues, because hospitals will have less spare bed space as elective operations begin again.

He said: ‘It is not just the 7% increase, but for how long that continues.

‘At Christmas and New Year, hospitals and a lot of elective work is reduced. After the Christmas and New Year period, elective patients return.’

London has been hit particularly hard. Between 8 December and 4 January, there were 293,750 attendances at A&E departments in the capital.

This was 22,083 more than during the same period a year ago, representing an increase of 7.5%.

Alison McIntosh, deputy chief executive at West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, said: ‘We have seen a whole range of problems, predominantly COPD, asthma and colds.’ ENDS 450

REGIONAL BREAKDOWN OF A&E attendances over the last month by region:

Strategic Health Authority 2007 figures 2008 figures difference % increase
NHS South East Coast 124,813 141,635 16,822 13.48%
NHS North East 74,165 78,299 4,134 5.57%
NHS East of England 109,918 116,820 6,902 6.28%
NHS East Midlands 80,769 89,682 8,913 11.04%
NHS North West 226,121 246,119 19,998 8.84%
NHS South West 117,653 124,206 6,553 5.57%
NHS West Midlands 135,812 143,948 8,136 5.99%
NHS Yorks and Humber 125,888 118,103 -7,785 -6.18%
NHS London 271,677 293,750 22,073 8.12%
NHS South Central 102,634 109,489 6,855 6.68%
TOTALS 1,369,450 1,462,051 92,601 6.76%

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