By Professor John Robertson OBA
From Sky News two days ago, the above and:
The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England last month was the third-highest ever.
Some 49,592 had to endure the long wait – up from 38,880 in September – as experts warned of patients “languishing on trolleys” in corridors.
It’s worse, probably far worse than that.
Had Sky looked at the NHS England data, they’d see:
Number of patients spending >12 hours from decision to admit to admission
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/
In Scotland, the A&E clock starts when you walk in the door and give your details at reception. Patients then, especially those not at serious risk may wait hours before being triaged and then admitted. In England, they start the clock again, falsely reducing the waiting time for every arrival.
In 2023, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimated that the actual figure would be 1.65 million waiting, more than 12 hours rather than the NHS England figure of 350 000, nearly 5 times greater!
Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/
The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
About Oliver Brown, the first Scottish National Party candidate to save his deposit in a Parliamentary election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Brown_(Scottish_activis
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I think presumption that ‘languishing on trolleys’ is a bad thing has to be challenged. On occasions when I have had to attend A&E, after I have been triaged, I have a fair idea of seriousness of the thing I am attending for treatment. Sometimes, I am put on a trolley, rather than being seated because that is the appropriate place for me, if, for example, I am going to have an ECG or if I am bleeding and need to keep fairly still, such as when I had an epistaxis. In the case of the latter, the likelihood is that the blood will, eventually, clot and stop the bleeding, but, once stopped I need to wait for a time to ensure that it is going to remain stopped. So, I do not mind ‘languishing on a trolley’ and being in a corridor or uncurtained space. In fact, I feel reassured by it as other people, including medics, can see me as they pass and react if necessary, or can just have a blether to help me pass the time.
The kind of language used by journalists, politicians and Heath service trade union officers is unhelpful and is presumptuous with regard to patients.
Alasdair Macdonald
LikeLiked by 2 people
More on the latest 12 hour performance standard for NHS England:
Source: NHS England: Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) September 2024 and October 2024 (Provisional) Statistical Commentary (https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/ECDS-Supplementary-Analysis-Statistical-Commentary-October-2024.pdf )
‘Twelve Hour Delays: Of all the total attendances in September 2024, 136,962 waited more than 12 hours from arrival at A&E (9.9%).
‘Of all the total attendances in October 2024, 162,931 waited more than 12 hours from arrival at A&E (11.1%)’. (my emphasis)
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) issued a press statement on these NHS England stats on 14th November 2024. This was its headline: ’12-hour waits rocket as A&Es head for yet another winter crisis’.
It reports: ‘New data released today shows that in England in October 2024, 162,931 patients waited 12 hours or more in major Emergency Departments, an increase of 33,919 from the previous month. That equates to more than one in every 10 patients who attended.’
The actual official performance figure is ‘11.1%’: why report this as ‘more that one in every 10’?
When the RCEM commented on Scotland’s A&E performance on November 5, the headline was: ‘Scotland’s EDs on a “fast track to chaos” this winter’.
It reports: ‘Published today (Tuesday 5 November) by Public Health Scotland, the data shows that in A&Es in Scotland in September, 5,212 patients waited 12 hours or longer before being admitted, discharged, or transferred.’
Oddly, the RCEM statement does NOT give the percentage of attendances in Scotland involving 12 hour stays. Why not?
The Public Health Scotland source document does (of course!) provide this statistic! It reports: ‘5,449 (4.2%) patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E (compared to 5,463 (4.2%) the previous month, and 4,914 (4%) monthly average for 2023).’
LikeLiked by 1 person
£22Billion is going into NHS funding from next year. Making up for the lack of proper funding for the last 10 years. £2Billion+ a year needed to fund the NHS. (Tory cuts). Austerity.
Winter fuel allowance cut for the elderly will mean more NHS funding. £600+ a day and more deaths. Incomprehensible.
Covid funding was £270Billion over two years. Too much was wasted of non scrutinised UK Gov contracts and fraudulent loans. Non productive economic years.
Scottish policy of funding SNHS and social care means the elderly can stay in their own homes longer. Preferable and less costly than residential care. £1000+ a week.
LikeLike
£22 billion? Which NHS? Haven’t seen anything about that at all so far.
LikeLike