Published39 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, PA MediaBy Dominic HughesHealth correspondent, BBC NewsMore than 250 patients a week could be dying unnecessarily, due to long waits in A&E in England, according to analysis of NHS data.The Royal College of Emergency Medicine analysed the 1.5 million who waited 12 hours or more to be admitted in 2023. A previous data study had calculated the level of risk of people dying after long waits to start treatment and found it got worse after five hours.The government says the number seen within a four-hour target is improving.This is despite February seeing the highest number of attendances to A&E on record, it adds.The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) carried out a similar analysis in 2022, which at that time resulted in an estimate of 300-500 excess deaths – more deaths than would be expected – each week.The analysis uses a statistical model based on a large study of more than five million NHS patients that was published in 2021. At the time NHS England disputed the figures, but it’s roughly what you get if you multiply the number of people waiting long periods in A&E, with the extra risk of dying estimated to come with those long waits (of between five and 12 hours).Postcode check: How’s the NHS coping in your area?12-hour A&E waits in winter ‘becoming normalised’Why did so many people die in 2022?This latest analysis is more detailed following a Freedom of Information request, this time asking for a breakdown of the number of people who waited for more than 12 hours and were subsequently admitted for treatment.That does not include the time that many people spent waiting outside hospitals in ambulances before they were transferred into A&E – meaning the full figures will be even higher, experts say. NHS data for England shows more than 1.5 million patients waited 12 hours or more in major emergency departments in 2023, of which around one million were waiting to be admitted to a hospital bed as a decision had already been made to treat them but a bed was not available at that stage.The RCEM has calculated that, when looking solely at patients awaiting admission, an average of 268 excess deaths are likely to have occurred each week in 2023.RCEM president Dr Adrian Boyle said long waits were continuing to put patients at risk of serious harm. “In 2023, more than 1.5 million patients waited 12 hours or more in major emergency departments, with 65% of those awaiting admission,” he said.”Lack of hospital capacity means that patients are staying in longer than necessary and continue to be cared for by emergency department staff, often in clinically inappropriate areas such as corridors or ambulances.”The direct correlation between delays and mortality rates is clear. Patients are being subjected to avoidable harm.”Sir David Spiegelhalter, emeritus professor of statistics in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It sort of seems intuitive that if you wait a long time in a corridor or somewhere else waiting to be admitted, an average of six hours now, that that’s going to harm people.”He added: “They are not identifiable people, you can’t count people who died because of this. It’s an estimate based on past analysis, that this does increase your risk, but it does seem plausible.”An NHS England statement said : “We have seen significant increases in demand for A&E services, with attendances in February up 8.6% on last year and emergency admissions up 7.7%.”The latest published data shows our urgent and emergency care recovery plan – backed by extra funding with more beds, capacity and greater use of measures like same day emergency care – is delivering improvements.”The Department of Health said it was making progress in reducing waiting times, including adding an extra 5,000 permanent staffed beds this winter to increase capacity.”Thanks to our £200m urgent care recovery plan, A&E four-hour performance improved in February compared to January, despite the highest number of February A&E attendances on record and the impact of industrial action,” a statement said.”We are determined to continue improving experiences for patients and making access to care faster, simpler and fairer.”More on this storyPostcode check: How’s the NHS coping in your area?Published14 March12-hour A&E waits in winter ‘becoming normalised’Published15 FebruaryWhy did so many people die in 2022?Published10 January 2023

Published11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Dominic HughesHealth correspondent, BBC NewsSexual health services in England are at breaking point, according to local councils who are responsible for running the clinics. They say that soaring rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis infections are threatening to overwhelm services. More than two-thirds of council areas have seen infection rates climb since 2017. They are calling on the government to provide extra funding to meet rising demand. Data gathered by the government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that in almost every council area in England, diagnosis rates of gonorrhoea have increased in recent years. Gonorrhoea and syphilis at record highThe Local Government Association (LGA) – representing the councils that provide sexual health clinics – is warning that demand is soaring and services are struggling to keep up. It is calling on the government to provide extra funding, as well as to publish a long-term plan to help prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections. Nearly three-quarters of councils have seen a rise in rates of syphilis cases, and chlamydia infections are up in more than a third of areas. Many of the new cases are younger people, and involve gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, but rates have also increased in heterosexual people. Experts believe there has been a rebound effect after the restrictions connected to Covid, but infections were rising well before the pandemic hit. There has also been a greater effort to test more people and improve access to services which may have led to more cases being identified. Councillor David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, says the statistics show that local sexual health services are grappling with unprecedented increases in demand. “Councils have been working hard to encourage more people to access sexual health services and get tested more regularly to help improve detection rates and catch infections early. “Investment in sexual health services helps to prevent longer-term illness and unwanted pregnancies, reducing pressure on our NHS and improving the health of people across our communities.” A report by the UK Health Security Agency last year revealed that in 2022 gonorrhoea cases were at their highest level since records began in 1918 – and syphilis cases were the highest since 1948. Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, says the quality and accessibility of services is under threat. “Without sufficient investment, sexual health service users will face severe challenges in their ability to access expert, timely care. “This data not only demonstrates the deeply concerning trajectory of STI [sexually transmitted infection] growth, but also the need for a robust national strategy, backed up by adequate funding. “As demand for care increases, without imminent action, we compromise our ability to safeguard the sexual health of our nation.” More on this storyGonorrhoea and syphilis at record high in EnglandPublished6 June 2023Related Internet LinksSTI annual data tables – UKHSAThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.