NHS at '˜breaking point leading to cancelled surgery and delays'

THE NHS is at 'breaking point', with a decline in the number of hospital beds leading to delays and cancelled operations, the British Medical Association warned.
File photo dated 03/10/14 of a hospital ward, as hospital admissions across the NHS in England rose to record levels last year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday November 9, 2016. Figures from NHS Digital show there were 16.2 million admissions during 2015/16, up from 12.7 million a decade ago. See PA story HEALTH Hospitals. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA WireFile photo dated 03/10/14 of a hospital ward, as hospital admissions across the NHS in England rose to record levels last year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday November 9, 2016. Figures from NHS Digital show there were 16.2 million admissions during 2015/16, up from 12.7 million a decade ago. See PA story HEALTH Hospitals. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
File photo dated 03/10/14 of a hospital ward, as hospital admissions across the NHS in England rose to record levels last year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Wednesday November 9, 2016. Figures from NHS Digital show there were 16.2 million admissions during 2015/16, up from 12.7 million a decade ago. See PA story HEALTH Hospitals. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Analysis by the BMA found the number of overnight beds in English hospitals fell by a fifth between 2006/7 and 2015/16.

The report found that in the first week of January this year, almost three-quarters of trusts had a bed occupancy rate of 95 per cent on at least one day. According to the analysis, in 2000 there were an average of 3.8 beds per 1,000 people, but this had dropped to 2.4 beds by 2015.

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The report said that in November 2016, 14.8 per cent of patients spent more than four hours waiting for a hospital bed, having been seen in an A&E department. “The data demonstrates the increasing pressures on the system. It provides evidence of the underlying cracks within the NHS, such as funding constraints, changes and increases in demand, disjointed care and workforce pressures,” the BMA report said.

It noted that pressures on mental health services were particularly acute, with a 44 per cent decrease in the number of mental health beds since 2000/01.

The document was seized on by opposition politicians, with Labour saying it was a “wake-up call which Theresa May must not ignore” and the Liberal Democrats warning the situation was becoming “intolerable”.

BMA chairman Mark Porter said: “The UK already has the second lowest number of hospital beds per head in Europe per head and these figures paint an even bleaker picture of an NHS that is at breaking point.

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“High bed occupancy is a symptom of wider pressure and demand on an overstretched and underfunded system. It causes delays in admissions, operations being cancelled and patients being unfairly and sometimes repeatedly let down.

“The delays that vulnerable patients are facing, particularly those with mental health issues, have almost become the norm and this is unacceptable.

“Failures within the social care system are also having a considerable knock-on effect on an already stretched and underfunded NHS.

“When social care isn’t available, patients experience delays in moving from hospital to appropriate social care settings which damages patient care and places a significant strain on the NHS.

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“In the short term we need to see bed plans that are workable and focused on the quality of care and patient experiences, rather than financial targets. But in the long term we need politicians to take their heads of out the sand and provide a sustainable solution to the funding and capacity challenges that are overwhelming the health service.”

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Thanks to Tory mishandling of our NHS, patient numbers in hospitals are now routinely above the levels recommended for safety. The shameful reality is this overcrowding puts patients at risk and blows apart ministers’ claims to be prioritising safety.”

Lib Dem spokesman and former health minister Norman Lamb said: “Chronic bed shortages should be the exception not the rule.”

A NHS Improvement spokeswoman said: “The NHS has been under real pressure this winter, as it copes with a surge in demand for emergency services the knock-on effects are felt throughout our hospitals. Our hospitals are extremely busy but we are working tirelessly alongside providers to help them manage and to support more efficient use of the number of beds available.”