MELTDOWN IN THE WARDZONE

Nurses caught in eye winter flu storm braced for 'mission impossible'

- JOHN FERGUSON

NURSES warn they are facing a “mission impossible” to keep patients safe on overflowing wards as the NHS is plunged into a winter flu crisis.

It comes as figures reveal an explosion in serious incidents involving patients, which have had to be reported to regulators as hospitals struggle to cope.

At least 3629 Significant Adverse Event Reviews (SAER) had to be carried out between 2020 and 2024 - hundreds of which involved unexpected deaths, treatment delays, heart attacks and falls.

The SNP has been accused of failing patients after it emerged the number of reviews had soared by 55 per cent in just four years.

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie MSP said: "The NHS has been plunged into crisis because of years of SNP mismanagement.

"It is deeply worrying that there were more than 3600 serious patient care incidents in just four years across our health boards.

"This highlights the extent to which services have been pushed to breaking point, with patient safety being put at risk.

"Frontline teams are being stretched to their limits with no relief in sight, with the SNP having utterly failed to recruit and retain staff.

"This must be the last winter that the SNP are in charge of our health service. Our NHS urgently needs a change in direction."

A staggering 1221 reviews took place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde alone, while across all health boards issues involving delays to treatment rose 120 per cent.

A SAER is carried out and reported to Healthcare Improvement Scotland after an incident that could have caused or did cause harm to a patient, staff member, or visitor.