The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is facing a severe crisis as hospitals grapple with unprecedented patient demand and widespread staff shortages. The Health Secretary admitted that some patients are being admitted to hospitals 'to die' due to a lack of available care.
The Health Secretary has said he feels “genuinely distressed and ashamed” at the experiences of some patients in the NHS , admitting that some patients are being taken to hospital “to die” because the right care is not available when they need it.
The confession comes after a number of NHS trusts , including the Royal Liverpool Hospital, declared critical incidents due to “exceptionally high demands” in emergency departments, with a patient at the Royal hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward. Wes Streeting said he felt “emotional” hearing about long waits and patients being passed from ambulance to ambulance. Mr Streeting said that flu is a “big problem” and was causing “extraordinary pressure” in hospitals. And the nation’s top emergency doctor told the PA news agency the emergency care system is “overwhelmed” and this flu season is the “straw that is breaking the camel’s back”. Hospitals in Liverpool, Northamptonshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Birmingham and Plymouth have declared critical incidents. East Sussex Hospitals Trust announced it is temporarily limiting visiting to one visitor per patient per day to reduce the impact of flu. “This includes those accompanying people waiting in our emergency department,” a statement said. 'Exemptions apply to end-of-life care, our special care baby unit and when visiting children under 16. Additional visitors will be permitted on compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis for all of our other services.” East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust also declared the first critical incident in its history due to a combination of “significant patient demand, pressure within local hospitals and flooding”. Non-urgent patients have been warned they will face long waits in A&E and have been urged to “consider other options”, such as contacting their GP, visiting a pharmacy or calling NHS 11
NHS Hospitals Flu Crisis Patient Care
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