Two recent reports suggest that pressures on the NHS will increase significantly over the coming months and years, impacting dramatically on its ability to provide adequate care for its patients.

The British Medical Foundation’s research has predicted that within the next 12 months, the number of patients having to wait for over 4 hours to be treated in A&E facilities will increase by 370,000 people. Looking further ahead, it predicts that, by 2020, nearly 4 million people per year will have to wait over 4 hours for treatment.

Based on the average rate of interest over the last five years, the report anticipated that by 2019, for the first time, over 2 million patients will attend A&E services every month.

At the same time, a study by The Health Foundation, reported in The Times, has raised concerns over the increasing shortage of skilled workers in the NHS and the reduction in numbers of trainee nurses and GPs over the last year.

These two trends seem destined to bring about a reduction in the quality of patient care, especially in A&E.

The BMA further drew attention to the need for increased government funding to try to reduce the impact of these worrying trends.

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