Warnings patients are more likely to die after SNP unveil 'flimsy' NHS winter plans
The Scottish Government is being warned that a ‘dreadful winter’ awaits.
Ministers have been warned more patients will die this winter because the Scottish government’s plan for dealing with pressure on the NHS is “flimsy” and “half-baked”.
Health secretary Angela Constance unveiled preparations for the annual strain on the health service on Thursday, telling MSPs “preparations have been under way for months”.
However opponents condemned the plans as inadequate and urged Ms Constance to show “proper leadership” in order to avoid the prospect of the NHS “completely collapsing this winter”.
The plans include expanding hospital at home services, adopting a “home first approach”, a public awareness campaign to tell people where to go when they need help, encouraging people to get flu vaccines, and efforts to tackle bed blocking.
But the British Medical Association said there are “worrying signs” this winter will be more challenging than previous years, pointing to the fact there has already been a critical incident declared in NHS Grampian and many hospitals have been “overwhelmed” in recent weeks.
Dr Nóra Murray-Cavanagh, chair of BMA Scotland, said: “The sad reality is this is of little surprise. In fact, it has become the norm to hear, in October, how the Scottish Government plans to prepare for winter pressures.
“There have been loud and clear warnings that the pressures on the NHS are now unrelenting about the risk of things becoming exceptionally difficult in winter with additional pressures such as flu.
“Yet every winter we found ourselves in the same position of hoping that the NHS scrapes through the most difficult months of the year, leaving patients facing not only long waits but increased mortality, particularly for those already experiencing health inequalities due to poverty, and already overstretched staff at risk of burnout.
“A plan is needed that evidences improvement on access for patients and culture for staff, engages with those working and using the NHS, and focuses on making our health service sustainable all year round.”
Dr Murray-Cavanagh called for “more than just ambitions” to tackle long waiting times and bed blocking, including a better workforce plan and well funded social care in the community.
She added: “We look forward to seeing how we can support the NHS and the medical profession and the public to get through this winter.”
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has already warned clinicians are “really scared about how ugly this winter is going to be”.
Dr Fiona Hunter from the college told The Scotsman’s sister title Scotland on Sunday that the state of emergency departments is “terrifying” and the government’s winter preparedness is “too little too late”.
She also said A&E departments are often running at over 500 per cent capacity with patients “languishing on the floor” or waiting in their cars for treatment.
Responding to Ms Constance’s statement, Royal College of Nursing executive director Colin Poolman said: “We now need to see a timeline for taking this forward quickly to ensure corridor care doesn’t continue to go unchecked over winter.
“Today’s statement also emphasises the importance of a community first approach. We agree that building capacity within communities is essential for relieving the pressure on acute hospitals. District nurses are experts in delivering clinical care in people’s homes, supporting people with long-term conditions, preventing hospital admissions and supporting timely discharge.
“Strengthening Scotland’s community nursing workforce, including by supporting more district nurses to gain the specialist practitioner qualification in district nursing, is one of the best investments the Scottish Government could make, and we also need to see urgent action on this from ministers.”
Ms Constance’s plan was condemned by opponents at Holyrood.
Miles Briggs MSP, the Scottish Conservatives’ health spokesman, said: “This is yet another flimsy SNP plan that will do nothing to stop a crisis in Scotland’s NHS this winter.
“Ministers have already presided over record A&E waits at the height of summer, so these will only worsen in the coming weeks and months, if the SNP don’t get serious.
“Corridor care has become the shocking norm in Scotland’s hospitals, and the SNP are still failing miserably to eradicate delayed discharge, which they promised to do over a decade ago.
“The minister says preparations have been underway for months, yet frontline staff and patients know a dreadful winter awaits.
“If ministers genuinely believe they are prepared, they should have no problem recording and reporting every instance of patients being cared for in corridors.
“Scots need more than another half-baked plan. They need to see some proper leadership from the health secretary before services completely collapse this winter.”
The health secretary said she acknowledges demand will increase over the winter and that staff will “face additional pressures”.
However she said: “We are not and have not been waiting for those pressures to emerge.
“Preparations have been underway for months. National and local partners are strengthening resilience, supporting capacity and preparing for increased demand.”
She added: “Fundamentally, we must continue towards a system where more people receive care outside hospital whenever that is appropriate.”
The health secretary urged local government and other MSPs to “work collaboratively” to try and tackle issues like bed blocking, acknowledging that it leads to “people separated from their loved ones and who are vulnerable to becoming more unwell the longer the hospital stay”.
She added trying to tackle bed blocking will be a key part of setting the NHS up for a surge in demand over the winter months, but added this is “just one vital component of the picture”.
Ms Constance said: “I must be direct that solving delayed discharge is not entirely within the gift of the Scottish Government. No single organisation can solve this challenge alone.”
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