Trusts warned they are being ‘complacent’ on A&E over-crowding

Emergency medics are writing to hospital chief executives warning them that some trusts are being ‘complacent’ about crowding in A&E, they have told HSJ.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is sending a letter to trust chiefs today calling on them to urgently plan for how they will stop corridor waits and exit blocking ahead of January and February, typically the busiest months. It says some trusts were not treating emergency department crowding as a “high priority”, despite covid risks and pressures.

It is also calling for overcrowding in the emergency department (ED) to be classed as a “never event” — a set of major safety risks.

RCEM’s concern comes amid apprehension over long ambulance queues at hospitals across the UK, and difficulties enabling social distancing between patients in many EDs.

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Source: HSJ, 3 November 2020