More than 400,000 extra A&E visits

[Northerner]

The number of A&E visits in England has soared by more than 400,000 so far this financial year, doctors have told MPs.

They said the increase was the equivalent of filling an extra nine emergency departments.

The Health Select Committee has been taking evidence after the worst waiting times in A&E for a decade and many hospitals declaring "major incidents".

Doctors said it was "absurd" to blame patients, who were advised to go to A&E by services including NHS 111.

The committee heard the reasons for the surge in demand were "many, varied and complex", but staff were doing a "heroic" job.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30812436

 

[HOBIE]

Well done to all staff in A&E 🙂

 

[Sally71]

Hear hear Hobie, they do an amazing job!

My mother in law recently fell off the bottom of the stairs in her house, landed awkwardly and heard something crack in her foot. She didn't want to go to A&E knowing the pressure they are under at the moment. But when I heard that the foot was swelling up fast and she'd felt something break I said she needed somebody to look at it! She went to her GP surgery first but ended up being sent to A&E anyway. She has broken the 5th metatarsal and is now hobbling around on crutches. She was lucky and was in and out of hospital within 2 hours, she obviously found one that wasn't struggling too much at that moment.

I'd say she was a deserving case!