NHS doctors know too well how waiting times damage all aspects of patient care

NHS doctors know too well how waiting times damage all aspects of patient care | Peter Endicott As a junior doctor, I’ve seen the serious knock-on effects of the backlog of 5.5 million people waiting for care in England.

It’s embarrassing to tell a patient being discharged from hospital that they can’t be seen for months. To assure them you will check with the clinic booking team, when you know there is no capacity. It’s demoralising to work long hours in A&E only to have more people waiting for treatment than when you started your shift. To know so much of your work in the emergency room would be unnecessary if outpatient services were not stretched beyond their limits. The Guardian