It was reported that in England, 85% of beds available in paediatric intensive care units were full on Friday night. But some units in cities including London and Leicester were forced to declare themselves as “at capacity”.

Simon Enright , the Director of Communications at NHS England , tweeted: “It is true that the NHS is very busy at the moment – record demand.”

The winter months stretch the NHS and can expose areas of weaknesses. In November 2016, the cross-party health select committee, chaired by Tory MP Sarah Wollaston reported concerns among doctors and nurses at the beginning of December because they had already started to struggle with the demand.

Official figures show 6,000 more A&E attendances daily compared with six years ago.  Planned operations are, in some cases, being postponed to prepare for any possible emergencies, and to free up resources for the winter period. The NHS insists that the quality of care is better than it has ever been – whether that’s cancer services, stroke survival, heart attack care or any other major condition. A national review of paediatric intensive care is currently in progress.

Moosa-Duke Solicitors has many years’ experience of representing clients who have suffered due to sub-standard NHS care. If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of poor care from a medical professional, please feel free to call us for a no obligation discussion on 0116 254 7456.