Report finds at least 4,500 patients in England have died due to ambulance handover delays and overcrowding at A&E departments

A report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has found that over 4,500 patients have died due to 12 hour waits and overcrowding in A&E in the last twelve months, highlighting the crisis facing accident and emergency departments as the NHS struggles to recover from the pandemic.

 

The report found that one in 67 patients in England faced ‘excess harm’ because of handover delays and overcrowding between 2020 and 2021.

 

Vice president of the college Dr Adrian Boyle, said “To say this figure is shocking is an understatement.  Quite simply, overcrowding kills.”

 

NHS England’s Amanda Pritchard has warned the situation is likely to get worse this winter, with the emergency care system facing ‘the worst crisis ever’, with a combination of unprecedented demand, crippling staff shortages and patients returning to the NHS more sick after the pandemic.

 

Dr Boyle went on to say “The situation is unacceptable, unsustainable and unsafe for patients and staff.  Political and health leaders must realise that if performance continues to fall this winter, more and more patients will come to avoidable harm in the emergency department.

 

“Staff will face moral injury and the urgent and emergency care system will be deep into the worst crisis it has faced.

 

“It is up to the government, NHS leaders, and all of us to work together to put a stop to dangerous crowding, avoidable harm, preventable deaths, and ambulance handover harm, and to ensure that we keep patients safe and deliver effective urgent and emergency care.”

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

 

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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