A&E ‘on brink of collapse’ as crisis worsens

The Government is being warned of a nationwide A&E crisis after one trust closed its doors to everyone except life-threatening cases.

Patients across north east Essex have been warned to stay away from Colchester General Hospital, after a “major incident” was declared.

The alert was raised after a surprise inspection by the Care Quality Commission found the hospital was experiencing “unprecedented demands”, as well as “safeguarding concerns”, including the sedation of patients.

The news has been met with shock by health campaigners who have called for reassurances the trust it safe.

Labour’s shadow health minister Jamie Reed who represents Copeland in Cumbria, has claimed the Government has repeatedly ignored warnings hospitals across the country are in a similar state. He said: “Minsters have ignored repeated warnings about the chaos in A&E across England and now whole hospitals are being overwhelmed by the pressure.

“By making it harder to get a GP appointment, pushing elderly care services to the brink of collapse and wasting £3 billion on a top-down reorganisation, this Government has caused a crisis in A&E.

“Half of nurses say their ward is dangerously understaffed, and more say safety has got worse over the last year rather than better which is why Labour has pledged to recruit an extra 20,000.

“The sad truth is that by causing a crisis in A&E and turning the NHS upside down with a damaging reorganisation, this Government is making care problems more likely, not less.”

The semi-lockdown at Colchester General is likely to last a week and patients with less serious injuries like cuts, wounds, sprains, strains and minor burns, must seek help at walk-in centres or GPs.

The Care Quality Commission said it carried out the surprise inspection after it received “information of concern”.

Among the concerns raised by inspectors was a patient being given a sedative with no evidence in their notes to suggest that consent had been sought.

Patients Association chief executive Katherine Murphy said the hospital’s troubles were more evidence of “a health service at breaking point”.