NHS leaders told to prioritize safety, not A&E targets
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told health chiefs in England to prioritize safety, even if it means falling short of the four-hour A&E target this winter.
The message was delivered at a meeting with hospital bosses and other NHS leaders in London on Monday amid growing concern about rising winter pressures.
Data from last week showed that hospitals were facing significant pressure for this stage of winter, with ambulances facing long waits outside A&E and 95% of hospital beds full .
Government sources said the Health Secretary wanted to “reassure” the NHS that it will not be penalized if performance falls short of targets.
He said this does not mean the target is being lowered, but rather that patients should be prioritized according to “clinical need”.
“We have to be realistic about what can be achieved in the coming months.”
NHS leaders were also told that every effort must be made to reduce ambulance delays when they drop patients off to hospital – at the start of December two-thirds of staff were facing long waits, leading to There were delays in their ability to respond to 999 calls.
To reach the target, the NHS will need to see 95% of patients within four hours of their arrival. October figures show just 73%.
Speaking after the meeting, which was attended by 700 health leaders in person or remotely, Streeting said: “We have inherited a broken NHS in which annual winter crises are seen as the norm. This year, We are seeing record pressure on services as we move into December.
“I want patient safety to be prioritized as we prepare ourselves for the coming months. I am asking trusts to focus on reducing ambulance delays, handovers and the longest A&E waits “
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard, who also attended the meeting, said the health service was facing “unprecedented demands” over the winter.
He said: “Patient safety must be paramount and speaking to local leaders today, the message was clear: we need every part of the NHS and social care partners to manage demand and prioritize patients with the most urgent needs. Let’s work together for.”
Dr Tim Cooksley, of the Society for Acute Medicine, said it was “concerning” that the Health Secretary felt the need to outline what the priorities should be for staff on the frontline.
“The harsh reality is not that hospitals and frontline staff are subverting targets, but that they are unable to deliver safe care despite trying their best to do so, given impossible circumstances.”
He also accused the government of lacking a coherent strategy to deal with pressures in the emergency care system, pointing to the fact that the government had failed to meet the 18-week target for non-urgent care in this Parliament. have made it one of the key missions for A&E, while not making the same commitment to the four-hour A&E goal.
Last year opposition Labor said they would hit all key NHS performance targets, including A&E, but this was not in the manifesto and has not been reiterated since the election and ministers have said they cannot guarantee that. The target of four hours will be achieved.
