Stop playing games with the NHS, and we might be able to save it | Mark Porter

For years politicians have applied sticking plasters to the health system rather than consider the long term – time to treat the system as a whole

Emergency departments across the country have just endured one of the toughest winter periods on record. Waiting time breaches reached record highs, emergency admissions soared and thousands of patients faced long waits on trolleys. While patients should always be treated on the basis of need rather than arbitrary waiting time targets, there can be no doubt that rising demand on services coupled with the seasonal spike in demand left patients facing unacceptable delays in treatment this winter.

Related: Patient care will deteriorate as NHS heads for £2bn deficit, says thinktank

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