Today's urgent and emergency care recovery plan - a quick🧵
TLDR: Pragmatic set of measures to improve flow and ease UEC pressures, but underpowered and too focused on finding short-term fixes for long-term problems
TLDR: Pragmatic set of measures to improve flow and ease UEC pressures, but underpowered and too focused on finding short-term fixes for long-term problems
https://twitter.com/SteveBarclay/status/1619979268640980993
Ambulance services and A&E departments are under huge pressure, leading to longer response times, delayed handovers and long waits.
Behind the numbers are patients left in pain, enduring unnecessary suffering and, in some cases, lives tragically lost.
Behind the numbers are patients left in pain, enduring unnecessary suffering and, in some cases, lives tragically lost.
https://twitter.com/CharlesTTHF/status/1611424019844136961?s=20&t=gXuvy84ch1zwx8ajEceRZg
Fundamentally, UEC performance is about patient flow into, through and out of hospital - not just what happens in ambulances or A&E
📈in response times, trolley waits and delayed discharges all point to problems with flow
health.org.uk/publications/t…
📈in response times, trolley waits and delayed discharges all point to problems with flow
health.org.uk/publications/t…
UEC plan wants to see:
🚨76% in 4 hours in A&E by Mar 2023
🚨Ave 30 min C2 ambulance response in 2023/24
Is this really "one of the fastest and longest sustained improvements in emergency waiting times in the NHS's history"?
Yes, but only because performance has fallen so far
🚨76% in 4 hours in A&E by Mar 2023
🚨Ave 30 min C2 ambulance response in 2023/24
Is this really "one of the fastest and longest sustained improvements in emergency waiting times in the NHS's history"?
Yes, but only because performance has fallen so far
Does the recovery plan offer credible solutions?
Diagnosis of the problem is broadly right and there's a welcome focus on the wider causes of UEC pressures, not just core ambulance and A&E performance.
Credit to @DHSCgovuk and @NHSEngland for that
Diagnosis of the problem is broadly right and there's a welcome focus on the wider causes of UEC pressures, not just core ambulance and A&E performance.
Credit to @DHSCgovuk and @NHSEngland for that
Some new measures, but others are existing commitments
E.g. new ambulances, SDEC, mental health support, rapid community response etc... all from #NHSLongTermPlan
Good steps, but hardly a step change - especially with shortages of workforce and capacity in NHS and social care
E.g. new ambulances, SDEC, mental health support, rapid community response etc... all from #NHSLongTermPlan
Good steps, but hardly a step change - especially with shortages of workforce and capacity in NHS and social care
New commitments to boosting hospital and community capacity are welcome
But, longer term, caring for ageing population and getting bed occupancy down will need even more acute capacity plus corresponding increase in non-acute and social care capacity
health.org.uk/publications/r…
But, longer term, caring for ageing population and getting bed occupancy down will need even more acute capacity plus corresponding increase in non-acute and social care capacity
health.org.uk/publications/r…
The lack of long-term is reflected in the ambitions for UEC performance - no specifics beyond 2023/24
FYI - from the terrible winter of 1999/2000 and setting 4 hour A&E target in 2000 to getting performance consistently above 95% took 5 years
health.org.uk/publications/r…
FYI - from the terrible winter of 1999/2000 and setting 4 hour A&E target in 2000 to getting performance consistently above 95% took 5 years
health.org.uk/publications/r…
The underlying causes of this crisis reflect political decisions over many years
A long-term approach to recovery is needed. This includes expanding social care, plans for staff recruitment and retention and sufficient funding - all still missing
/End
A long-term approach to recovery is needed. This includes expanding social care, plans for staff recruitment and retention and sufficient funding - all still missing
/End
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