'Humanitarian crisis' in NHS hospitals, warns Red Cross

There is a "humanitarian crisis" in NHS hospitals in England, the British Red Cross has said.

The charity said volunteers and staff had been helping patients get home from hospital and called for more government money to stabilise the situation.
It comes as a third of hospital trusts in England warned they needed action to cope with patient numbers last month.

'Humanitarian crisis' in NHS hospitals, warns Red Cross

Well this is saddening, the Red Cross has been supporting the NHS in what is naturally a busy time of the year for the NHS, patients have been sent home without clothing and two deaths are being investigated at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Not enough beds? Poor planning? Lack of funding?

I can't say, I can say however that beds are apparently not as full as last year but ambulance diversions are double from last year. A measure only considered after all other measures to alleviate pressure has failed.

So any good ideas instead of complaining?

a reply to: RAY1990

It all went tits up when they made them "Trusts" and gave them targets to reach and profits to make which meant employing a whole shed load of administrators and managers rather than hospital staff. Healthcare in the UK should never be about profit. It goes against everything the NHS was set up for.

Where I live they have just agreed to close our A & E and now any emergencies will have to go to Calderdale Hospital which for some means a journey of around 45mins depending on what time you need an ambulance. The traffic between 7am and 10am is chaos and a total standstill between Huddersfield & Halifax. That adds extra time onto a journey. This move has been made because they "overspent" on building the new Halifax Hospital so cutting back at Huddersfield. This is a dangerous move and quite likely life or death situation

Due to the ridiculous gp appointments system in most surgeries, people are using A&E instead causing backlogs and delays.
Many staff are foreign with not particularly good English skills and for older people, the staff are difficult to understand. We have Romanian Nurses, Philippino Nurses, Portuguese Nurses but very few English ones. This is a recipe for disaster and human error due to misunderstandings is rife.

I've seen people waiting in corridors, being fed on trolleys in the corridors (when they are remembered) old people in bed for days without water, there are umpteen horror stories (I could repeat my own 2 experiences)but unfortunately its part of the agenda to make people pay for private healthcare then we really can be the 51st State!

originally posted by: tikbalang
So any good ideas instead of complaining?

I'm not complaining, I'm reporting a news story for ATS

Ideas?

Yeah sure, volunteer if and when possible. If a family member is in hospital offer to pick them up or pay for a taxi and collect them.

I don't drive, I'm not qualified in any role that would be of help.

Plus in few words, you can't help others when you can't help yourself.

This time of year is hell for the NHS, with a spike in physical and mental health. The latter I know a bit about. If I had a van and could drive I would offer a service free of charge though I know it doesn't work like that, background checks etc.

I'd help if I could, I'm not trained and have little to offer.

I agree somewhat with Phyllida above.

Closing hospitals means that ambulances have to travel further, tying them up. Though the reason the beds are full is due to the reductions in social care.

As usual, the sick were blamed and the tories pulled all benefits. Thus leaving people without adequate care in their home. The doctors and nurses can't release someone into an environment that would possibly kill them, so they stay in the hospital, filling the beds.

If they spent as much time considering the people, as they do wining and dining, this problem would be solved; and in fact, it would never have arose.

Nice to see Buckingham Palace is getting a 300+ million refit though (sarcasm)

a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport

I totally agree, it's the system failing and ultimately putting a lot more pressure on the NHS as a whole.

10 years ago a GP appointment in my area was a 5 day wait at most, now it's 14 days or more depending on how badly they are stretched.

Average of 2 hour wait in A & E, I was an arse before when I was slashed open because I waited 2 hours to be stitched up, I said I'll stitch myself up and walked to the exit then they called my name out... Chances are I would have been back In within a week a damn sight worse, I was apologetic and understood their plight.

But that's the problem, the system is too slow and patients ultimately end up in A & E. I see it all too often with mental health this time of year and it's completely avoidable.

a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport

Is this opinion, assumptions or fact?

Hey we could stop spending billions exporting death to the middle east but then the 1% might lose some share value so guess not .

a reply to: TheWisestCumbrian

They played about with walk in centers for a bit, a lot were underused and now are being used for other services.

We need more hospitals.

originally posted by: tikbalang
a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport

Is this opinion, assumptions or fact?

I'd say it's a fact, waiting times are too long for many services so people put off their ailments and ultimately end up in A & E.

a reply to: RAY1990

Yeah sure, volunteer if and when possible. If a family member is in hospital offer to pick them up or pay for a taxi and collect them.

Seems like a great time for some of the local secret fraternities to do some charity work. Which I truly hope they don't need to be asked, cause it's such a trivial question helping out the local community..

a reply to: RAY1990

Majority of the ER cases are not emergencies, please source fact

a reply to: tikbalang

What like Mason's?

They do help, they are hardly secret either. Though donations tend to be anonymous.

originally posted by: tikbalang
a reply to: RAY1990

Majority of the ER cases are not emergencies, please source fact

No they are not.

If I was cut open or had a head trauma I'm not going to the GP, if I did they would call the appropriate services and I'd be picked up from my surgery.

A misuse of services due to my own stupidity.

a reply to: RAY1990

With the influx of migrants and real term cuts in funding is there any surprise the NHS is starting to crack.
Mismanagement by successive Tory governments have led us to this in an attempt to sell off a "failing" NHS , they did it to the railways too and look how much better they are now.

Jeremy Hunt is ....

a reply to: RAY1990

i am fairly sure money is not part of the issue

originally posted by: tikbalang
a reply to: PhyllidaDavenport
Is this opinion, assumptions or fact?

It's fact , one that is being repeated in my County.
There is a political agenda being played out here and it's the people who are suffering because of it.

a reply to: RAY1990


Health has to be your own responsibility , we know that allopathic medicine for the most part is mostly snake oil. The food and nutrition is basically crap, and even the vegies are forced, so end up with little amounts of minerals. A good surgeon is worth his /her weight in gold. If you want a cure you must make life style changes, sadly most people cant do the effort. As long as nutrition is ignored and crap is eaten it will get worse. Most doctors cant be bothered explaining, these simple facts, because most patients don't want to hear it. If you think its bad now, look again in another few years.

a reply to: RAY1990

So where would you go? A private helicopter to a special clinic in Switzerland ?

a reply to: gortex

Anything to verify it on?