article_snippet: What's Behind The A&E 'Crisis'? comes as NHS England reveals emergency departments have not achieved the benchmark in England since July 2013.
article_snippet: It's not about more people turning up, but about a system with a squeeze on hospital space and staff, which needs to get better at discharging people safely and on time.'
article_snippet: Every minute of every day, an average of 40 patients arrive at emergency departments in England.
article_snippet: The speed with which people move through A&E 'has come to be regarded as a sentinel marker of the health care system'.
article_snippet: By fixating on one narrow measurement, we risk focusing on the symptoms rather than the causes of rising pressure on A&Es, which are linked to wider pressures across the NHS and social care sector. '
article_snippet: This ‘exit block’ leads to bed shortages and patients waiting for hours on trolleys to be admitted.
article_snippet: We can only get to grips with pressure on A&Es if we look at health and social care in the round, and ensure every part of the system is fully resourced and working well.'
article_snippet: Focus on A&E performance has intensified since the start of the year, as 'unprecedented' winter pressures saw medics face a worsening situation.
article_snippet: The report notes a range of pressures placed on A&E departments, but states the most significant issue  'is not the numbers of people presenting at A&E, but the ability to discharge patients safely and quickly from the hospital as a whole' The pressure on the urgent care system is caused by high bed occupancy rates, tight resources and staff facing increasing strain, The report states. '
article_snippet: The number of patients waiting on trolleys for more than four hours before being admitted to hospital has almost trebled, and delayed ambulance handovers at the doors of A&E have risen by more than 70 per cent.
article_snippet: Traditional arguments have blamed the pressure on A&E with a rising tide of patients arriving at the doors of emergency departments.
article_snippet: Instead, the most significant issue facing A&E units across the country 'is not the numbers of people presenting at A&E, but the ability to discharge patients safely and quickly from the hospital as a whole'.
article_snippet: The complexity of the hospital system and the highly politicised nature of the A&E have impeded progress,' the authors said. '
article_snippet: Problems will not be solved if policy-makers, political leaders and regulators continue to micro-manage A&E. '
highlights_snippet: The What's Behind The A&E 'Crisis'?