“From a GP’s perspective, the waits now for hospital treatment, for elective care and for investigations are becoming unacceptable, and we’re having to support all our patients who are waiting for that treatment, who need that really to help them move on with their lives – and we’re trying to support them. It’s one of the big reasons we’re seeing such a rise in demand.”

Our NHS colleagues from India have fought hard to save lives in the UK. The NHS would have buckled to its knees without them.

Dr Jenny Vaughan, Vice Chair of DAUK, interviewed on Newsnight showing support to the people of India in these tough times. 

Emails seen by The Doctors’ Association UK from senior managers at NHS hospitals reveal a service that is running out of beds, and the despair of those trying to sort it out.

The clinical director at one hospital in Bangor in North Wales said this was “the worst start to a day in… 13 years,” and that meant staff “will have to be risky”. The Royal Oldham Hospital’s Director of Operations said they were facing “one of the worst predicted overnight bed positions that I have ever known in any hospital throughout my career”.

In the community we are hearing from GPs who are having to pick up the pieces. Patients are being discharged into the community, earlier than they should be. There’s open admission about that being described as ‘risky’ by the Chairman in North Wales in one of the hospital.

Dr Jenny Vaughan BBC Newsnight

In this segment for BBC Newsnight Dr Deb Cohen explores how emergency departments across England are struggling, and what the impact has been on patients.

Catch up with the full piece on BBC Newsnight