Accident and emergency: ‘a system under strain’

Published: 06 December 2012

The Royal College of Nursing said today (6 December) that the results of a national survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on accident and emergency waiting times show a system under strain.

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Dr Peter Carter said: “People should not be waiting an unreasonable time to be admitted and treated, but when the country’s health care needs are increasing and already over-stretched hospitals are losing resources it is sadly inevitable that waiting times will increase.”

Dr Carter said the survey findings were symptomatic of a system under huge strain because of a lack of beds and staff. “Cutting resources further will only have a detrimental effect on the quality and accessibility of care.”

He added: “Part of the solution to these increasing pressures is community care. Community nursing staff provide preventative health care and support patients to manage their illnesses at home, keeping them out of A&E in the first place. It is no surprise that hospitals are feeling the pressure when the number of district nurses has been cut by a third. The health service is becoming increasingly fragmented at a time when increasing demands require a more integrated approach.”