Plan to fix emergency care unveiled

As reported by The Independent, the plan set out new measures for health services provided in patients’ homes

Thousands more hospital beds and 800 new ambulances are at the centre of a new government plan for emergency care unveiled today.

The new blueprint for urgent and emergency care will boost under-strain services in the NHS, backed by a dedicated £1bn fund.

Rishi Sunak said the “ambitious and credible” measures would relieve the severe pressures on the NHS which have dominated this winter.

The strategy is aimed at expanding urgent care in the community, keeping people away from hospitals and emergency departments.

It is hoped the plan will cut waiting times and backlogs to treatment, which the prime minister has included as one of his top priorities.

Mr Sunak said: “It will take time to get there but our plan will cut long waiting times by increasing the number of ambulances, staff and beds – stopping the bottlenecks outside A&E and making sure patients are seen and discharged quickly.”

The NHS plan also includes provisions for new pilot schemes aimed at improving step-down care, with patients receiving treatments such as rehabilitation and physiotherapy at home in some instances.

The Department of Health announced over the weekend that 3,000 “hospital at home” beds will be created before next winter, with suggestions that the new provisions could care for around 50,000 people a month at home, instead of in hospital.