The A&E crisis: the burgeoning effect on paramedics

As demands rise and resource pressures grow, NHS emergency services have found themselves placed under increasing pressure. This culminated in the failure of emergency departments to meet national waiting time targets in the early months of this year. The combination of these trends with claims concerning the improved outcomes that are possible by specialist trauma centres, begs the question as to the future of community and primary care services, ambulance services and hospital A&E departments. As a result, the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS England) is reviewing the future configuration of urgent and emergency services in England.

The report, drawn up by the House of Commons Health Committee, suggests that growing demand on A&E departments will make them unsustainable if effective action is not taken quickly to relieve the pressures they face (House of Commons Health Committee (HCHH), 2013a). Concerns were also raised by the committee as to the low numbers of staff in emergency departments, and the role of NHS 111.