Patients, often old and infirm, die in ambulances outside emergency departments because hospital wards are full of medically fit people who cannot leave due to a lack of social care. Over the summer, Ms Truss promised to shift £13bn of healthcare spending to social care, claiming this would help unlock capacity in hospitals. Health services are heading into winter with the spread of Covid, an exhausted and frustrated workforce, severe staff shortages and a crippled social care system in dire need of repair. In July, the Cross-Party Health and Social Care Committee said that “the ongoing NHS staff shortage now poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety, both for routine and emergency care”. If enough voters realize that the NHS is on its knees, Truss could be in trouble.

Source: The Guardian September 22, 2022 20:32 UTC