Pressures on the NHS
Unprecedented demand reported at the Royal Stoke
There's a warning the health service is just as stretched now as it was at the height of the pandemic in January.
A letter from NHS Providers says doctors are facing "record levels" of demand, due to admissions of coronavirus and mental health patients.
Last night - the Royal Stoke said its A and E department was experiencing unprecedented pressures - and people were asked to only attend in an emergency:
NHS Providers also pointed out that staff are quite rightly'' taking summer annual leave, including time-off that was postponed earlier in the pandemic.
The letter warned these pressures will probably intensify in the coming months due to Covid-19, expanded vaccination programmes and dealing with what is expected to be one of the most difficult winters the NHS has ever faced.
NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said: The NHS has delivered in an extraordinary way over the last 18 months, often at the drop of a hat.
Many NHS chief executives believe the next phase of our fight against Covid-19 is likely to be the hardest yet given the scale and breadth of pressures they face.
They are clear that, now more than ever, the NHS must get the funding it needs to win that fight.
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