NHS: Staff under pressure as winter surge starts early in London

Four times a day, about 30 staff from across the hospital arrive in the ops centre, an anonymous room off the main corridor on the first floor.

They’re here from every ward, giving an up-to-date picture of every patient: who is ready to be discharged, what each patient needs, where the pressure points are, how demand is being managed – all are discussed.

It’s been a decent morning; 11 patients are on their way home but 25 more are being lined up.

Dr Danny McGuiness, divisional director of acute and speciality medicine, says winter brings its own issues.

“Our patients increasingly have complex medical problems,” he said.

“They’re coming in sicker and many patients are waiting longer before they come to hospital and they are more unwell as a result when they do come in.”

It can mean moving patients out of hospital is harder, so here they have a team dedicated to working with the local councils, charities and social care teams.

Hospital care these days is not just about care in the hospital.