THE publication of the A&E waiting times for December is a stark warning of the crisis gripping our emergency departments as figures reveal that only 86 per cent of patients in England were seen within four hours – the worst levels on record.
Despite the best efforts of hard-working staff, waiting times in hospitals in the Durham and Darlington NHS Trust came below the national average with only 78 per cent being seen within four hours.
The crisis is not isolated to A&E as chronic underfunding has led to widespread problems across the NHS with a recent BMA report revealing that the number of overnight beds in England has declined by a fifth in the last decade.
Accident and emergency care is a vital service and if emergency departments are failing, patient care is directly impacted. The Government must urgently address the severity of the situation by committing to long-term investment for these services that are unnecessarily struggling.
Dr George Rae, BMA North-East regional chair
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