High Peak Liberal Democrats

The NHS figures that will shock you (again)

• 38 Trusts facing serious pressure
• More beds closed due to Norovirus
• Cancelled operations up 15%
• 9 hospitals had no available beds on some days in February

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats of the Weekly Situation Report for the week ending 5 February 2017 reveals that:

• 38 trusts are facing major pressure that could lead to poorer care. The NHS themselves describe this as leaving organisations unable to deliver comprehensive care. There is increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised.
• Bed occupancy rates were 95% or 96% every day between 1st February and 5th February - significantly higher than the official 'safe' threshold of 85%.From the 1st-5th February 3,517 beds were closed due to Norovirus.
• 21,249 operations were cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons. This is 15% up on the previous year. 1551 of those cancellations still had not been treated within 28 days.

The data, released today by NHS digital showed in February that 9 hospitals had no General and Acute beds available on certain days.

Commenting on the data, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "Day after day we hear more stories about the NHS struggling to cope and yet we hear silence from Nube 10 and the Department of Health. What is it going to take for them to wake up. Enough is enough.

"I don't know how bad the figures need to get for them to actually take action.

"Only the Liberal Democrats are prepared to make the case that we may need to raise tax to pay for the NHS and social care services patients deserve."

The Liberal Democrats called for an additional £4bn of funding for NHS and care over the next year to help cash-strapped services cope with the impending winter crisis and ever-increasing demand for services."

Norman Lamb, Shadow Health Secretary added: "The NHS is facing a perfect storm, with unprecedented demand for care and a chronic lack of funding. Bed occupancy is at dangerous levels, A&E units are struggling to cope, and patients in severe pain are having to wait longer for operations because resources are over-stretched. Patients are being seriously let down, and this has gone on for too long.

"Sir Robert Francis has warned that the NHS is facing an existential crisis, and even the Health Secretary has admitted that the current situation is unacceptable.

"Although there is no silver bullet to these problems, it is impossible to see a solution that doesn't involve additional funding. The Government must listen to the views of patients and healthcare staff, and release extra cash for social care and the NHS in next month's Budget. They must also trigger a cross-party process, engaging with the public, to come up with a long-term deal for the NHS and social care."

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