Commenting on the publication of Dr Foster’s Good Hospital Guide, Is your hospital fit for the future?, Dr Andrew Goddard, director of the Royal College of Physicians’ Medical Workforce Unit, said:
The Royal College of Physicians welcomes the publication of Fit for the future?. Many of the findings suggest our hospitals are struggling to cope with the pressures upon them. The staggeringly high bed occupancy rates show that hospitals are at bursting point. This prevents hospitals from being able to deliver non-urgent care – such as hip replacements – and puts staff under increasing pressure as they are constantly fire fighting. It is too easy for compassionate care to be lost when doctors and nurses are struggling to cope with their workload.
This report also contributes to the growing body of evidence that suggests mortality rates are higher at the weekend. Some hospitals, based outside London and often in rural areas, are struggling to recruit sufficient doctors to provide adequate out-of-hours cover. We must consider how to better distribute our medical expertise around the country.
The report’s findings are not new. It tells us important information about the quality of hospital care. The medical profession now must carefully consider these findings and decide how to improve hospital services to better meet the needs of patients. Many of the themes were covered in the RCP’s Hospitals on the edge? report, which sets out the challenges that the RCP are looking to tackle through our the Future Hospital Commission. The Commission will review the standards of care for medical inpatients and will publish its report and plan of action in spring 2013.
For further information, please contact Lisa Cunningham, Public Affairs Manager, on +44 (0)20 3075 1468 / 07990 745610, or email Lisa.cunningham@rcplondon.ac.uk