Yorkshire doctor claims NHS is in crisis after being hit by ‘perfect storm’

The NHS is in the midst of its worst winter on record for A&E waiting times and ambulance handover delays, as stretched hospitals across the country are struggling to find beds for new admissions, and senior doctors have warned that 500 people are dying each week because of delays in emergency care.

Dr McGregor, who is also chair of British Medical Association Yorkshire Regional Council, said there has been a “meteoric rise” in demand over the last six weeks, driven by a new strain of Strep A, which requires early treatment to prevent a potentially fatal infection, a surge in flu cases and the resurgence of Covid-19.

But he also said the NHS does not have the capacity to reach that demand, because the number of staff and hospital beds has been “shrinking relentlessly” over the last decade.

Almost 25,000 NHS beds have been taken out of service since 2010 and at least another 13,000 are urgently needed, The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said.

Official figures also show the NHS had 133,446 vacancies in September 2022, including 47,496 vacant nursing roles.

“That has led us to the crisis we have now and it is a crisis,” said Dr McGregor. “In 35 years of medicine, I've never known it the way it is at the moment.”

“We've seen winter pressures and we've seen rises in demand before, but it's never been as bad as it is now. The whole system is under pressure.”

He added: “I think our politicians need to recognise that the NHS is in crisis, because it's not operating normally.

“This isn't standard operation. We're not coping and we are having to adjust how everybody works.

“I also think the public are starting to realise that they can't rely on the NHS because the NHS hasn't been supported by the government,”

It comes as consultants at one hospital in Yorkshire have stopped all elective work and been redeployed to A&E.

GPs in parts of Yorkshire are being asked to prioritise urgent cases, even though surgeries lose out on performance-related payments from the NHS if they do not focus on treating conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.

Dr McGregor said many NHS workers, working in hospitals, ambulances, GP surgeries and the community, are demoralised because they cannot provide patients with the care they need.

“I would ask the public to be kind and ask them to understand that everybody who is working in the NHS is trying to do the very best for the patient in front of them,” he said.

"Staff are under pressure and if you do need help, we will get to you.”

The Government said it has pledged £14.1bn of additional funding for health and social care over the next two years, including £500m to speed up patient discharges and free up more than 7,000 beds.

It also said there are record numbers of nurses and doctors working in the NHS, with around 4,700 more doctors and over 10,500 more nurses compared to October 2021.

In a joint statement, the Integrated Care Boards which oversee NHS services in Yorkshire said: “Like other parts of the country, health and care services in Yorkshire remain under significant pressure due to the number of people attending A&E, calling NHS 111, accessing GPs, community and mental health services and calling 999.

“The increase in the number of people seeking help is alongside the challenges of a difficult winter. Health and care staff across every sector, including the voluntary community social enterprise sector, are working extremely hard under tremendous pressure to support and care for people.

“We thank each one of them for all that they’re doing to keep people safe and well, around the clock, every single day. It’s very important that people who need medical care come forward, especially when someone has a life-threatening illness or injury.

“A range of services are available to ensure A&E departments are freed up to treat those with life-threatening and critical illnesses or injuries.”