RCEM President responds to Baroness Thornton
Royal College of Emergency Medicine
RCEM President, Dr Katherine Henderson, responds to Baroness Thornton.
“Baroness Thornton rightly highlights the pressing need for substantial capital investment to repair and upgrade NHS equipment and buildings.
“Due to years of under-resourcing, the Emergency Care system is struggling to cope with thousands of patients having to wait long periods in often poor conditions.
“Parts of many hospitals are very run down and increasingly becoming unsuitable for care. This is not good for patients.
“Patients are often waiting because of a lack of testing equipment. The UK has the lowest level of both CT and MRI scanners per capita in comparable nations, which has a knock-on effect in terms of hospital performance – patients are queuing to be diagnosed.
“While the funding settlement last year was very welcome, this will only address part of the problem. The promise of 40 extra hospitals must happen alongside improving our existing Emergency Departments – many of which are not fit for purpose – and that will require an increase in capital budgets.”
