The Thin End

As the government scurries around to find the pledged extra funding for the NHS, sober news today demonstrates the devastating consequences of systematic underfunding over the past eight years. Over 6000 beds lost in last four years New figures published today by the British Medical Association (BMA) shows that the NHS has lost more than 6000 beds across the country over the last four years, and the British Medical Association (the doctor's union) are warning that under-resourcing in hospitals is hampering patient care. These warning are not new. They have been given before as previous Thin End posts have shown. But the figures presented today are a stark reminder of an NHS in crisis and struggling valiantly to meet demands. New BMA analysis reveals that: Beds have reduced by an average of 140 per Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) footprint since 2014/15 – a fall of over 6000 at a national level; Bed numbers have decreased in 29 of 44 STP fo...