NHS Faces ‘Hardest Weeks In History'

‘Toughest weeks in history of NHS’

- Giles Sheldrick

THE embattled NHS is facing some of the most critical weeks in its 73-year history, experts warned last night.

Health bosses said the situation is now so precarious that the quality of patient care is in danger as pressure intensifies.

At least 24 NHS trusts have declared critical incidents because of staff shortages and rising Covid admissions.

It comes as more older people are being admitted to hospital and the uptake of booster jabs is slowing in every age group.

That, coupled with traditional winter pressures, has created a perfect storm – leaving services from emergency care to routine surgery on a knife-edge.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, the voice of the UK healthcare system, said: “The weeks ahead will be some of the toughest in the history of the National Health Service.

“Health leaders are battling an unprecedented staffing crisis. The quality of care is at risk of being compromised at a time of rocketing patient demand. NHS organisations do not declare critical incidents lightly but over two dozen have done so far.”

Mounting concern over the ability of the NHS to withstand a third successive winter wave comes as the UK reached another grim milestone.

More than 150,000 people have died from Covid within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic erupted in March 2020. The UK is the first country in Europe to pass the figure. Mr Taylor is demanding an urgent action plan to address the lack of “resilience” that has seen the NHS stretched to breaking point in the crisis.