Theresa May was at pains yesterday to insist that a national A&E meltdown and 55 cancelled ops is NOT an NHS crisis. Even though Jeremy Hunt apologised for it, then appeared on TV again, insisting actually it wasn’t a crisis as at least it’s not like last winter when loads of operations were cancelled 24 hours before.
The Prime Minister and Health Secretary’s insistence that the current debacle across hospitals all over the UK is an unforeseeable consequence of winter and external factors beyond them is being mocked by NHS professionals across the country who point to repeated warnings.
This viral plea by Accident and Emergency consultant Rob Galloway is worth a read and explains how “the fault does not lie with the ‘system’ of the NHS – a model of care which utilities its resources to maximal effect.
“The fault lies with the government. Years of failed austerity depriving NHS and councils of vital monies and investment is taking its toll.”
It is also a plea for reporters to start reporting “the reality and not peddle the propaganda from our politicians” – how “money which has been spent on the NHS had been wasted on pointless reorganisations designed to start the process of NHS privatisation.”
Here is Rob Galloway’s social media post in full:
Dear Journalists, as an A&E consultant I am writing to ask for your help.
Up and down the country our A&E departments are in meltdown, our staff are at breaking point and we need your help.
Patients are being left in corridors because there are no ward beds for them to go to, staff are leaving shifts demoralised and exhausted and most importantly our patients are not getting the care they deserve.
We need the public to know about this, not to scaremonger, but for the truth to be out there – as the only way to get politicans to change – is by voters knowing the reality and prioritising the NHS at the ballot box.
But without the public understanding what is going on, we will continue to have this crisis year after year after year. This is where we need your help. We need you to report the reality and not peddle the propaganda from our politicians.
The crisis is much worse than what you report. We all talk about the 4 hour target and that we get around 90%. But that includes all the patients who don’t need admission. But for the ones who need admission, the % who get admitted within 4 hours is so so so much lower than that. And for those patients, it is crucial for their well being, that they get admitted within four hours.
Why are you not asking for these figures? That would help reveal the truth.
Then you report 12 hour breaches. But in England (but not the rest of the UK) the clock starts ticking when a specialist senior has seen them. So they can be in A&E for 18 hours and not be a 12 hour breach.
Why are you not asking for the figures of patients who stay in A&E for more than 12 hours? That would help reveal the truth
And what about asking how many patients are spending time in corridors?
Because if you did reveal these figures – you would soon see the real extent of the crisis. And it is a crisis. One which will lead to a breaking point soon unless something changes.
The fault does not lie with the patients. Yes a few inappropriately attend – but they are not the problem; they can be quickly turned around and discharged. The fault is not with the staff. They are working tirelessly and doing an amazing job despite the conditions they are working in.The fault does not lie wth managers and hospital executives. They are working relentlessly to make things work as well as they can. And despite what the governmnet peddle it certainly is not the fault of the GPs. Although there is falling numbers of GP surgeries, they are doing an amazing job at reducing the number of A&E attendances. Most importantly, the fault does not lie with the ‘system’ of the NHS – a model of care which utilities its resources to maximal effect.
The fault lies with the government. Years of failed austerity depriving NHS and councils of vital monies and investment is taking its toll. A&Es are struggling because of the frail elderly who need a ward bed but cant get one. They can’t get one because there are not enough beds within our hospitals (we have one of the smallest numbers of bed per capita in the whole of Europe) and because those that need to get out of hospital can’t because of a lack of social care. In addition some money which has been spent on the NHS had been wasted on pointless reorganisations designed to start the process of NHS privatisation.
Please start reporting that. Please start reporting the truth. Please start reporting how close we are to melt down and please help get the public worked up about what is going on.
Because sadly our government don’t seem that bothered. They and their friends can afford private health care and therefore don’t rely on it. Even worse many would be happy to see our NHS privatised.
But for everyone else we need the NHS. The staff will battle on (and it is a battle at the moment). We will continue to do everything we can. We will continue to adapt, modernise and reform. We will continue to provide the most amazing possible care despite the conditions. But there is only so much our staff can take. And if we lose our staff we lose the NHS.
Journalists -we need your help. Please help.
And if you are not a journalist reading this, please share (publicly), or tweet it or send onto your friends in the hope that journalists will pick this up and start reporting the truth.
Rob Galloway A&E Consultant
@drrobgalloway
MORE:
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/apparently-cancelling-55k-ops-isnt-a-crisis-its-better-than-last-year-when-patients-told-day-before-jeremy-hunts-carcrash-interview/04/01/
Read Dad’s Facebook message in praise of NHS who saved his young son’s life
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/read-dads-facebook-message-praise-nhs-saved-young-sons-life/29/06/
