To circle back to the NHS
Several news sites reporting today than there are fewer hospital beds than ever before on record (records began in the late 70s).
Initial analysis says that there are way more people now, yet fewer beds, of course there is a crisis!
And I think that initial analysis is largely an accurate picture, that it is not the rising population but the cuts to the hospital's which have most severely affected their efficient operation. This is backed up by the Head of the NHS' statement that bed closures have gone too far.
Another point to consider is that treatments have changed, key hole surgeries for example means that patients can stay in hospital for a shocking small time after their operation before being sent home. This might be true, and might justify the cuts to an extent.
But the overall picture is still damning. Fewer beds than ever, and people having to be treated in abulances in the A&E carpark due to shortages. Hospitals are at breaking point, and these statistics clearly show that cuts in general, though specifically to bed numbers are causing a severe crisis in hospitals.
I have worked in the NHS for 20 years and yes it is getting worse than when I first started. Believe it or not, many hospitals have enough beds, but they cant get people out of them. Problems are:
Lack of beds - caused by an ageing population, but also by the huge amount of house building taking place. Many hospitals are getting no extra funding, no extra beds, and no new GP facilities are being built. Where I work we have the beds, but last month for example, 141 of them were occupied by people who could be discharged.
Social Care - this is the crux of the issue along with populations growing from immigration and new houses, people cannot flow through the system when there is no where for them to go to. People can spend months blocking a bed waiting for social care to look after them. Many nursing homes are now private, and there is a distinct lack of care at home.
A&E waiting times - again, due to the new houses going up everywhere and lack of any new GP provision, plus GPs not being replaced when they retire, there is a massive problem with lack of GPs and lack of GP appointments. As such people are just going to A&E. NHS 111 has been another problem, just mention a bit of pain in your chest and they send you to A&E. Also, believe it or not but social media and TV also plays a factor, with more people focusing on things online, we can predict when we will get an influx in people worried they have a particular condition when a tv programme is aired. Awareness is one thing but many people panic, and when they cant speak to a GP, them come to A&E
Community Hospitals - as with Social Care, many have closed down which reduced bed numbers are care in communities. Our hospital is reopening some of the closed ones as its been realised we need the beds!
Staffing - this is also a HUGE factor, we just cant get the staff. People simply arent interested in training to be a doctor or nurse for the fear of the debts they will rack up. Plus the wages for a nurse, or Paramedic for example really dont justify the work they do.
Private companies - In previous trusts some services went to private companies (such as Virgin care) which caused lack of continuity between the NHS services and the private companies. Some companies actually handed back control of services as they found they were not feasible to run and turn a profit. There should be no profits in healthcare.
Ambulance response times - failing thanks to the constant focus on cutting speeds on roads with humps, narrowings, and other obstacles. Damage to ambulances thanks to speed humps, state of the roads with potholes, and then with all the extra new houses, we also have more gridlock and traffic on the roads. As such ambulances cannot get to people in time, and those already not out on a call are stuck waiting outside A&E.
Both Labour and the Tories have a hand in running down the NHS. You can throw all the money in the world at it, but unless people start training again and have an interest in being a medic, then nothing will change.
