A&E Crisis in Sheffield: 14,000 Excess Deaths Due to Long Waits
Long A&E waiting times are having devastating consequences across the country. Shockingly, estimates suggest that in 2023 alone, delays in A&E contributed to 14,000 excess deaths. Here in Sheffield, emergency services are stretched to breaking point.
At a recent Sheffield City Council meeting, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals provided a stark warning about the state of urgent care in the city:
- Demand for urgent care in Sheffield is at an all-time high.
- Waiting times at A&E are failing to meet national targets.
- Ambulances are losing the equivalent of five crews every single day due to delays at A&E.
That’s five crews of paramedics who should be out saving lives, but instead, they’re stuck waiting to hand over patients at the Northern General Hospital. This amounts to 48 hours of staff time lost every single day.
The Liberal Democrats are demanding urgent action from the Government. They are calling on the Health Secretary to announce an emergency plan to increase the number of hospital beds, recruit more NHS staff, and put an end to ‘corridor care.’ The party argues that the Government cannot sit back while thousands suffer due to these delays.
Sheffield Lib Dem Spokesperson for Health & Social Care, Sophie Crossthorn, emphasized the urgency of the situation: "These delays in A&E are costing lives. Patients and NHS staff alike are being let down by a Government that refuses to take this crisis seriously. We need immediate action to support our hospitals, recruit more frontline staff, and make sure no one is left waiting in agony."
The Liberal Democrats are encouraging local residents to share their experiences of A&E in Sheffield. Feedback from the public will help push for much-needed improvements.
Sheffield’s A&E and ambulance services are vital. The party is urging the community to work together to demand the change the city needs.