Emergency departments 'running on fumes' as Britain’s top A&E doctor warns the NHS is ‘going backwards’

14 November 2022, 18:30 | Updated: 14 November 2022, 18:48

Britain’s top A&E doctor has warned the NHS is “really going backwards” – blaming the crippling state of the nation's health system on poor leadership and investment, with emergency departments at “bursting” point.

Speaking with Tom Swarbrick at Drivetime, Dr Ian Higginson, Vice President of The Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said doctors have been left “frustrated, angry and upset” at the current state of hospitals and patient waiting times.

“Now we’re really reaping the consequences of this poor health policy,” said Higginson.

“Our expertise and our advice has not really been taken into consideration as part of health policy planning and now we’re seeing this awful situation developing”

He added that staff in emergency departments are essentially “running on fumes”.

Read more: Serving Lancashire PC charged with attempted murder at Manchester Premiere Inn

'The pressures on our work force at the moment are stopping us doing our job properly'

“It’s essentially a long traffic jam with humans feeling the brunt of it,” said Higginson.

Describing the situation as “very frustrating” for those working in emergency departments, Dr Higginson noted “we’re now reaping the consequences of that poor leadership and poor health policy”.

“What I can’t do is promise the standard of care we would like to because our departments are full to bursting at the moment,” he said.

“The health policy decisions had been focussing so much on essentially trying to cut back on beds and trying to minimize the workforce and minimize the investment rather than the right strategic planning.”

Adding: “We need planning, we need investment and we need a workforce”.

Urging those in need of urgent care to still visit emergency departments, Dr Higginson said: "We are still open, we are still here and we wouldn’t want people sitting at home who need to be in our emergency departments”

Adding the biggest concern among NHS staff was the worry "we cannot provide the care we want to”.

Explaining the strain emergency departments currently face when it comes to ‘bed blocking’, Dr Higginson said there is “absolutely clear data” that links “overcrowding and waits and deaths”.

“Everything else becomes a balance of risk, which puts patients and healthcare professionals in an invidious position trying to decide the least worse option.”