Hospital staff are at "breaking point" as patients are being forced to wait for more than 24 hours in corridors on overloaded wards.
A harrowing image of patients lining the corridor of the Royal Liverpool Hospital that surfaced on Tuesday symbolised the enormous pressures facing the NHS as the UK enters the winter months.
The image was taken by Liverpool Councillor Barry Kushner, who waited for more than 24 hours with his 92-year-old relative to be admitted to a ward.
Speaking about his experience in the hospital, the Labour councillor described the situation as "grim".
He told the Liverpool Echo: "I am so upset about it. I've never seen a hospital in this state.
"This is the managed decline of the NHS. The point we have reached after 12 years of Tory disinvestment in public services. It is like the hospital is in the middle of a serious incident.
"But actually the response to my posts shows this grim situation is happening all over the country. The NHS has collapsed."
The image and the story had a huge response, with many commenting that it highlighted the extreme situation being faced by the health service and blaming successive Conservative governments for allowing this to happen.
Most who commented were keen to praise the tireless efforts of staff inside local hospitals who are battling incredible pressures.
One nurse at Aintree Hospital, Kadie Jones, said: "Us nurses are at breaking point! Do you think we want patients in the corridor for 24 hours! We constantly get the stick of it when it really isn’t our fault."
Claire Wolohan described the situation as "sad".
"Nurses and doctors have been pushed to the limit since Covid. A lot of staff have left and a lot of staff were also lost when we left the EU.
"Recruitment needs to be fast tracked to ease pressure on the staff and resume “safe care” for patients," she added.
Kitty Walsh was a patient in the Royal Liverpool on the same night the image was taken and had nothing but warm words for the staff.
"I was there that night on a trolley and the paramedics and nurse staff were spot on," she said. "They were handing out sandwiches and drinks and talking to each and every patient, caring for them despite facing unprecedented struggles with lack of funding and bad hospital design."
Debbie Woodhouse added: "I feel so sorry for all the staff who are under pressure in these awful circumstances and trying to do their very best for their patients."
Others spoke of long waits they or relatives had endured in hospitals recently.
Craig James said: "It's been like that at Aintree Hospital for weeks now, staff pushed to the max trying their best. Think it's going to be along hard winter for hospitals."
Sam Bown spoke of her experiences, adding: "I was in the new Royal A&E for 32 hours before I was given a bed. I witnessed how hard the nurses worked. She described the scenes in the hospital's Accident and Emergency department as being "like a war zone".
Clare Fitzsimmons said: "It's absolutely terrible the way the NHS is going. My 82-year-old nan went in at 10am on Friday morning and was not on a ward until 7pm on the Saturday night."
Speaking about the current pressures, Dr Jim Gardner, Chief Medical Officer at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is widely recognised that Emergency Departments across the country are facing significant pressures.
"Despite these incredibly challenging circumstances, our staff are working extremely hard to care for patients as quickly as possible, and I thank them for their continued commitment and dedication."
Dr Gardner said work was ongoing to help alleviate pressures within their hospitals, particularly around patients who no longer required acute care.
This includes utilising newly opened dedicated bed space at Broadgreen Hospital to support those who need ongoing assessment and intervention ahead of their discharge home.
"We are also continuing to work closely with our local partners in adult and social care to ensure patients are discharged safely and in timely manner into community and social care," she added.
“To help support our teams who are caring for our sickest patients, local communities can help us by only using A&E when it is an emergency, and to contact NHS 111 to find alternative services if they have less urgent concerns.”
