Hospital staff fear for safety of NHS patients this winter, new poll reveals

Fewer than one in five doctors ‘confident’ about plans to cope with seasonal pressure

More than half of frontline medical staff fear NHS hospitals will not be able to keep patients safe this winter, according to a new poll.

The survey carried out by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found that 58 per cent of doctors felt “worried” or “very worried” about the ability of their hospital to deliver safe patient care in the months ahead.

Fewer than one in five of the 1,761 doctors, trainees, consultants and specialist medics polled said they were “confident” or “very confident” about plans to cope with the added pressure on the NHS during the winter months.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth branded the findings “alarming” and said government ministers “must do more” to ensure there is money available.

He said: “There was no extra cash for acute trusts in the recent budget for winter and we know many hospitals are facing intense pressures following this year’s ‘summer crisis’.

“It would be unforgivable if patients suffer another winter like last year. Ministers urgently need to reassure us they have a plan and will make proper funds available.”

The poll also found less than a third of doctors had been asked to take part in planning for winter.

Some 96 per cent of frontline physicians did not know how extra cash promised for social care would be used to relieve pressure on their hospitals.

Hospital directors recently told The Independent that the NHS is set to face an “even tougher winter” than the crisis it weathered a year ago. NHS leaders said workforce and funding issues had not been addressed.

Figures released last month show how an unprecedented summer heatwave has left hospital staff struggling to tackle a significant backlog in operations.

Health secretary Matt Hancock announced last month that an extra £240m will be injected into adult social care services to help get patients home quicker and free up vital hospital beds.

RCP president professor Andrew Goddard said that while more was being done to prepare for winter, the poll showed plans were not filtering down to frontline staff.

He said: “We know the government and NHS are doing much more to plan for winter than they were prior to 2017-18.

“But these findings show it is still not filtering down to staff on the wards, who need to feel confident that plans are in place to deal with the inevitable increase in demand, so they can get on with the job of providing direct clinical care.

“When we’re concerned that the wheels could fall off at any moment, the pressure goes up and morale goes down.”

Additional reporting by PA