Patients waiting up to 10 hours in Manchester hospital as A&E struggles with ‘significant’ numbers

Waiting times highlight just how battered the NHS is

Patients at Manchester Royal Infirmary have seen queues of up to ten hours in recent days. Times have varied, with some days resulting in patients waiting eight to ten hours outside. [caption id="attachment_275862" align="alignnone" width="810"] Manchester Royal Infirmary[/caption] Hospital staff stated how many patients could not even enter the building, instead they had to queue outside underneath a marquee. The Manchester Evening News reports that due to patients being unable to book GP appointments, the hospital itself has resulted in a considerable uptake of arrivals. There have been several COVID-19 cases, with numerous people in intensive care and staff having to shuffle around rooms to create a larger capacity space. This news seems to coincide with recent studies that suggest we are in the early stages of a third wave. Though vaccinations have increased, this has also stunted scientists ability to track the potential third wave, as it's harder to gauge the issue on mass. Despite the scientific evidence pointing to a potential third wave, MRI has stated that the issue lies with more 'general' cases. With beds at capacity, this has put significant strain on A&E, where the enormous queues appear. Manchester Evening News spoke to a woman whose sister in law was advised to seek medical attention. After recently giving birth, the new mother was having issues with her cesarean-section wound. "We got there and the queue was epically long, there was nobody to speak to, no shelter, absolutely nothing. “They had a tent thing up instead of her coming straight down and straight in.” A spokeswoman for the MFT had the following to say: “We are currently experiencing a significantly higher than usual number of patients attending our Emergency Department which has meant that on occasions patients have been unable to enter the triage waiting room resulting in queues outside our department. “We encourage everyone seeking treatment for conditions that are not an emergency to first contact their General Practitioner or use NHS 111.” The NHS has done tremendous things in the last 18 months, despite the lack of support from the Government. MP's like Imran Hussain are calling for a much-needed pay rise for the NHS, but he is obviously unaware that the nation clapped every Thursday instead. Concerns for the state of the NHS are rising as the pandemic seems to slow down. With immeasurable resignations due to burnout, the future of the NHS is rather bleak at the moment. https://twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/1236653572865081345 Journalists, MP's, and the general public have called for a reimagining of the service once the pandemic is put to bed. It is reported that every department in medicine lacks staffing and resources, and unfortunately, that is only solved by pumping more money into the NHS. They have served as guardian angels for eighteen months, and despite the opinions of your neighbourhood curtain twitcher, clapping is not the solution for the issue. Next time, take your clapping hands and put a cross in a box. Vote for the people who will drive the NHS into the future and give medical professionals the recognition and money they deserve.