A Royal College of Physicians survey of over 550 doctors shows only 10% are confident hospitals can safely manage winter pressures, citing overcrowded emergency departments, staffing shortages, and temporary care measures
A new survey by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) reveals growing concern among doctors about hospitals’ ability to cope with the pressures of the coming winter. Over 550 physicians shared their views on the challenges ahead, highlighting critical issues that could impact patient care across the NHS.
43% of physicians are not confident in winter hospital plans
NHS hospitals face significant pressure during winter, following a sharp rise in seasonal illnesses. This seasonal surge, combined with existing NHS challenges like admission delays, high bed occupancy, and discharge delays, places additional strain on already stretched services.
When the 550 doctors interviewed were asked about their top three worries for winter, they most commonly cited limited capacity to provide care, the use of temporary care environments, and staffing shortages, closely followed by risk of burnout.
Over half (51%) said they were aware their hospital planned to open temporary beds to cope, but nearly two in five (39%) said they were unaware of any measures being taken. Almost half (43%) said they were not confident that current plans would make a positive difference.
The RCP findings come as NHS England releases new performance figures, showing that:
- A&E attendances reached 2.3 million last month.
- Over 44,000 patients waited over 12 hours in emergency departments to be admitted.
- On average, 12,815 people remained in hospital each day, despite being medically fit to be discharged, marking the busiest September on record.
Dr Hilary Williams, clinical vice president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “It’s concerning to see our physician members tell us that they are not confident their hospitals can safely manage the pressures of the coming winter. We have long-standing, systemic issues in the NHS – from rising A&E attendances to delays in discharge – that cannot be resolved overnight.
“There are practical steps that can be taken now to help ease the burden. Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to reduce avoidable hospital admissions, particularly for illnesses like influenza and COVID-19. We urge both staff and the public to get vaccinated to help protect themselves and the wider system. At the same time, we need urgent action from government and system leaders to bolster social care and community services, including palliative care, improve patient flow, increase bed capacity, and support frontline staff through what is likely to be another extremely difficult winter.”
NHS Confederation responds to these findings
Responding to a new Royal College of Physicians survey suggesting doctors lack confidence in hospitals’ ability to cope with the coming winter, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said:
“Hospitals and ambulances are working incredibly hard to prepare for winter after what has already been an extremely busy summer. Keeping patients safe is the number one priority over winter and, as we speak, ambulance services, hospitals, and the all-important alternatives to A&E such as same-day emergency care services, are running intensive exercises to fine-tune their approach to the high levels of demand they’re expecting over the coming months.
“But we are under no illusion that the NHS will face many of the challenges it confronts every year. Bed capacity remains limited while the long-term changes that will help resolve winter pressures – including reforms to social care and the pledged investment in specialist mental health crisis centres – are yet to begin.
“We would urge people to use alternatives to A&E – such as NHS 111, local pharmacies, and expanded on-the-day GP access – whenever appropriate and to get vaccinated against flu, Covid, and RSV if eligible. These simple steps can make a real difference in keeping patients safe, well and out of the hospital.”
