Two in three A&Es are failing on safety with ‘gridlocked’ hospitals in permanent crisis, damning figures reveal

TWO in three A&Es are failing on safety, figures reveal.
A Sun investigation has revealed only one out of 209 casualty wards in England was rated as “outstanding” on the key measure last year.

The Care Quality Commission found 65 per cent inadequate or needing improvement.
The figure is up from 61 per cent the previous year.
It means patients were vulnerable to abuse or other harm, including ambulance handover delays, waiting hours to get help and being abandoned in corridors.

The number of emergency departments failing on safety is up from 61 per cent the previous year – a rise of seven per cent.
Leading medics claim emergency departments are the “canary in the mine” for the health service and warn a lack of hospital beds, social care cuts and inability to see a GP are all fuelling the crisis.

A&E attendances have rocketed by more than a fifth in a decade – with 2.1 million last month alone.

SWAMPED WARNS

Dr Nick Scriven, from the Society for Acute Medicine, said he would not choose to treat a relative in Britain’s swamped casualty wards.

He said: “It’s never been this bad in terms of lack of beds and demand.It’s the worst sustained pressure for a generation.

“For patients this makes a big difference. We will always provide safe treatment, but it’s impossible to give dignified care in crowded wards. I wouldn’t want to deliver this kind of care to my family.

“Many A&Es are struggling now and the weather is still warm. All we need is bad flu, norovirus or a cold spell and you will see large numbers being overwhelmed.

“I think we are going to spend winter in crisis management.”

Hospitals should treat at least 95 per cent of emergency patients within four hours.

TARGETS FAILED

But NHS data shows it has been more than four years since the key target was last hit.

Officials warn long delays are now a year-round problem, with many hospitals struggling just as badly in summer as winter.

NHS figures show only one in 60 major A&E departments met the crucial waiting time target in September.

It compares to one in four during the same period four years earlier.

An NHS spokesperson said: “NHS teams across England are working hard to ensure people get the right help when they need it this winter, including offering more free flu jabs than ever before, organising extra evening and weekend GP appointments, and improving NHS 111.”