Latest BMA figures show steep decline as Tories continue to underfund and parcel out the NHS
The latest British Medical Association figures have revealed the continuing disaster of Tory damage to the NHS.
Early last year, the Tories abandoned – officially put ‘on hold’ – the Accident and Emergency ‘four hour target’ in what was condemned as a transparent attempt to hide the damage done to NHS services by Tory policies and cuts.
However, the Tories’ ‘mandate‘ to NHS England for 2018/19 stated that the NHS must:
deliver aggregate A&E performance in England above 90% in September 2018, with the majority of trusts meeting 95% in March 2019, and aggregate performance in England at 95% within the course of 2019.
It was a sick joke, as the figures show:
- There were 2.17m attendances at A&Es in March, an increase of 212,500 from the previous month
- 555,500 emergency admissions were recorded, a worrying 6% increase from March 2018
- Performance against the four-hour wait target at major A&Es in March was 79.5%
- There were 59,500 trolley waits of four or more hours, making it the second worst March on record
- Including estimates for missing data, the waiting list for elective treatment rose to 4.31m in February
- There were 127,300 delayed days recorded in February
SKWAWKBOX comment:
The Tories still, astonishingly, claim the NHS is safe in their hands. The figures show otherwise.
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These figures confirm what anybody who has been anywhere near a hospital or who is on a waiting list for treatment already knows – the NHS is in a state of total collapse having been underfunded for years and is now ready for privatisation. Once this happens our health care will be based on the American model – you take out private health insurance which will have limited cover – once you reach your limit you either have to do without treatment or pay for it yourself. This is the reason why so many cancer and other seriously ill patients end up impoverished and homeless. We must never allow this to happen here.
smartboy : ” the NHS is in a state of total collapse”
No it isn’t. I am as concerned as you about stealth privatisation, what is happening to the NHS generally and the further impact of Brexit on it.The situation is extremely serious, and the pressure immense.
But wild overstatement isn’t helpful. I am a frequent flyer, so have a pretty wide experience of treatment in our local NHS trust on a regular basis and in a range of specialist disciplines.
I was admitted through A&E on Tuesday evening, and spent a couple of nights as an in-patient. As usual, the treatment was exceptional – and I wasn’t having to reach for a credit card and think about bankruptcy.
The levels of pressure on the services are unacceptable, and there is a critical under-supply of beds. Crucial disciplines like radiology are suffering severe shortages of specialists. But in this Trust, the staff – medical and management – are providing an amazing standard of care and professionalism. Still.
So – this situation is unacceptable, and the pressures on many staff are far too high. But it isn’t ‘total collapse’, thanks to them. Exaggeration does nothing for morale.
When people in A&E are treated on the floors of Sluice Rooms ( as happened last year) when people get infections due to lack of hygiene in hospitals, when people like me who had a heart attack wait 10 hours for a hospital bed and then months for follow up appointments – I was notified in February I would get an see a Consultant in July- when staff are worked to breaking point and unnecessary deaths result then that in my opinion is evidence of ” total collapse” of the service.
Why can’t we import more nurses & doctors from abroad, like we do our footballers….sure as hell cheaper than training our own. So that’s what freedom of movement is all about?
Tories. Get. Rid. Of
They are like a plague affecting our economy and society, causing us to sicken, suffer and die.
Get. Rid. Of.
It’s some of those damn pesky plebs. They keep voting Tory.