The NHS should act now to avoid a worse crisis next winter

Action must be taken now if the NHS is to avoid an even worse winter crisis next year, the chief inspector of hospitals has warned.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the use of corridors to treat sick patients in A&E was “becoming normalised”, with departments struggling with a lack of staff, poor leadership and long delays leading to crowding and safety risks. Professor Ted Baker said: “Our inspections are showing that this winter is proving as difficult for emergency departments as was predicted. Managing this remains a challenge but if we do not act now, we can predict that next winter will be a greater challenge still. “We cannot continue this trajectory. A scenario where each winter is worse than the one before has real consequences for both patients and staff.”

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Source: The Independent, 18 February 2020