Give the NHS more money – or it will face trouble this winter

Give the NHS more money – or it will face trouble this winter Without investment, there is a serious possibility of wider failures than last winter with the safety of more patients at risk

It may seem odd to issue a winter warning when we have just been through an early summer heatwave. But the forecast from the NHS frontline is clear: unless we do something now to manage the risk for winter, there is trouble ahead.

Last winter, NHS staff responded heroically to extraordinary pressures. But safety and standards of care were compromised in too many places. As demand increased, so did pressure on beds, staff and the whole health and care sector. That meant delays in A&E and more patients waiting on trolleys for a bed. This had knock-on effects for ambulance response times and there were similar pressures in mental health and community services. Continue reading... The Guardian