Sturgeon Admits 'Pressure' On A&E

Accident and emergency departments are under considerable pressure'' this winter, according to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Winter bugs which affect both patients and staff, festive GP closures and long-term difficulties dealing with an ageing population make it a busy period for A&E staff, Ms Sturgeon said. Her comments came after more medical procedures were postponed today as hospitals across Scotland experienced high levels of demand over the weekend and into the working week. Speaking on a visit to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital, Ms Sturgeon said:This is always the busiest time of year for our accident and emergency departments." Winter pressures are well known. It's a combination of factors: the fact that, understandably, over the holiday period GP practices are closed down which - depending on when Christmas and new year falls as it has been over this festive period - can be for four days at a time."During the winter you also see factors like norovirus, respiratory illness, and sometimes these illnesses affect NHS staff as well as members of the public, so it hits NHS staffing." But our NHS staff, A&E departments, are doing a very good job in coping with that pressure.'' Ms Sturgeon said there are more resources now in A&E departments than previous years, adding:If I compare the situation now than when the SNP took office, there are almost three times the number of A&E consultants, there's 1,700 more nurses across our NHS." Of course there's two more A&E departments that are open because of the SNP than would be the case if Labour had continued in office, because we reprieved Monklands and Ayr A&E and I think, over the years since we did that, between them they've seen something like a million patients."Now if they weren't there, the pressure on A&E, although it is considerable at the moment, would be even higher. So, I am not for any stretch of the imagination saying that there is not pressure on our health service, that is in the nature of what our health service does." We're also seeing increasing demand on A&E, partly because of the ageing population, but as a Government we will continue to do what we have done every day since we have been in office, which is to support our NHS at the front line to do the job that they do.'' Theresa Fyffe, Royal College of Nursing Scotland director, has called for a review of the health and social care system. She said: ''We have been warning the Scottish Government for months that a piecemeal approach to the NHS of action plans and task forces set up to look at different issues is not going to work. ''The problems we are seeing in A&Es up and down the country are a result of growing pressures on the whole health and social care system - people are ending up in A&E because they don't know where else to turn or because they are not getting the right health and social care support at home. Even before pressures grew this winter, Audit Scotland reported last year that the most common reason for A&E delays is 'waiting for a bed'. ''Unless action is taken, we will continue to see - this winter and in winters to come - waiting times targets being missed, people being admitted to inappropriate wards and delayed discharges going up and up."Instead of short-term measures to deal with these symptoms, a cure needs to be found and that is exactly why we think a wholescale review of the health and social care system should be carried out, urgently.'' NHS Grampian said 45 planned procedures were postponed at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary today which would be rearranged as soon as possible. The health board said it ''categorically denies'' suggestions of shortages of drugs or mattresses. A spokeswoman said: ''We have opened additional areas to cope with the current pressure which may mean that in the lead-up to these areas receiving patients, equipment may be in transit and not immediately available. ''We would emphasise that for sound safety reasons, clinical areas are not open to patients until all the necessary arrangements are in place.