Labour is calling on the government to “show the urgency the
crisis demands”, in response to record delays facing ambulance
and Accident and Emergency services.
Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has told the Health
Secretary, , to speed up the provision of
surge capacity to ambulance services. It follows Health Minister,
Maria Caulfield, telling the House of Commons on Wednesday:
“We have procured a contract with a total value of £30m for an
auxiliary ambulance service, which will provide national surge
capacity if needed to support the ambulance response during
periods of increased pressure. That capacity is there, should we
need it.”
NHS England later confirmed the contract “is yet to be awarded.”
Labour is also urging the government to act on calls from NHS
Confederation and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine for
greater capacity in social care to free up hospital beds. Around
400,000 delayed discharges occur each month, when patients are
fit to leave hospital but are unable to, due to lack of care
capacity.
The letter comes as every ambulance service in the country is on
highest level alert, ambulance response times for May were worse
than during any winter crisis. The NHS now also faces a surge in
demand from the heatwave, with the Met Office today issuing a Red
extreme heat warning for parts of England next week, meaning
there is a danger to life.
, Labour’s Shadow Health and Social Care
Secretary, said:
“The Health Secretary was appointed ten days ago, but is yet to
say anything about the heatwave and unprecedented pressures our
emergency services are facing.
“Our health and care services need leadership right now, not the
invisible man.
“Labour would recruit and retain more carers through better pay
and conditions, easing pressures on the health service and
providing better care for patients.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Text of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary of State
Our NHS is in crisis. Every ambulance service is at the highest
level alert. Patients are waiting in ambulances for 24 hours
outside of A&Es, because hospitals don’t have the beds or
staff to admit them. Just over half of patients attending A&E
are seen within 4 hours. Stroke and heart attack victims are left
waiting an hour for an ambulance, when every minute matters.
The heatwave and surge in covid cases are putting additional
pressure on the NHS, but it is 12 years of Conservative
mismanagement and underfunding that has left our health service
unable to cope. As the Culture Secretary said, the Conservatives
left the NHS “wanting and inadequate” before the pandemic.
You have been Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for
10 days now, but you are yet to say anything about the heatwave
and unprecedented pressures our emergency services are facing.
When I asked an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on
Wednesday, requesting that you give a statement about what the
government is doing about this crisis, you failed to turn up. Our
health and care services need leadership right now, not the
invisible man.
Now that the Met Office has issued a Red extreme heat warning,
meaning there is a danger to life in parts of England early next
week, will you finally act?
Have you spoken to the leaders of all ten ambulance trusts in
England? If not, will you do so today? Trusts told reporters
yesterday they are not aware of any planned meetings.
On Wednesday, your Minister, , told Parliament that
the government had secured a contract to provide surge capacity
to ambulance trusts. NHS England then confirmed the contract is
yet to be awarded. Where is the urgency this crisis demands? What
are you doing to get ambulance trusts the extra support they
need?
Dr Adrian Boyle, President-elect of the Royal College of
Emergency Medicine, has highlighted the problems caused by
delayed discharges. Around 400,000 times a month, a patient is
fit to leave hospital but can’t because the care support isn’t
available. More capacity in social care could help patients out
of hospital sooner and prevent them needing to go to hospital in
the first place, yet care workers are leaving in droves to work
at places like Amazon, because the pay and working conditions are
better.
NHS trusts I have visited are voluntarily giving up portions of
their budgets so more capacity can be built in social care. It
takes years to train doctors and nurses, but carers can be put to
work much sooner. Recruiting and retaining more carers through
better pay and conditions would help ease pressures on the health
service and provide better care for patients- will you listen to
the calls from the RCEM, NHS Confederation, and NHS trusts and
act now?
Yours sincerely
Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
