SOME A&E departments are in a “complete state of crisis”, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said, as it highlighted the extreme pressures facing the NHS this winter reports the BBC.

Dr Ian Higginson, the college’s vice-president, said he was in “no doubt” there was a risk to patients.

Hospitals are facing soaring demands, which experts believe is in part driven by winter illnesses like flu and Covid.

The government said it recognised the pressures faced by the NHS.

According to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) – which monitors standards of care in UK A&E departments – the NHS is facing the worst winter for A&E waits on record.

A number of hospitals have declared critical incidents in recent days, meaning they cannot function as usual due to extraordinary pressure.

Other trusts have told patients to avoid emergency departments unless their condition is life-threatening.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64142614