NHS CRISIS: Our health service is set to see its winter crisis continue into summer

Hospitals have been warned to expect to struggle in summer just as much as in winter. The British Medical Association claim A&E attendances, waiting times and admissions could reach alarming levels.

They say a worst-case scenario could see the health service suffer a repeat of the nightmarish scenes experienced during winter 2016.

This would mean record attendances across July, August and September, with A&E treating 6.2million patients. They also predict mammoth waits, with 774,000 people forced to wait more than four hours for treatment.

Even their predicted best-case scenario would see 5.89m attendances at A&E over the summer – and with only 89.6% being dealt with within four hours.

HEALTH WARNING: Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chairman of the BMA Council warned of crisis

BMA council chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul claimed “the winter crisis has truly been replaced by a year round crisis.”

He said: “Doctors and patients have just endured one of the worst winters on record.

“We cannot accept that this is the new normal for the NHS.”

Dr Nagpaul added that “urgent” investment was needed, with funding for English healthcare more than £7billion a year behind other European countries.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the situation was being addressed.