The NHS is facing intense winter pressure, with serious incidents announced at a dozen hospitals across the UK as of Wednesday.

Ahead of a special day of coverage, the BBC has spoken to nurses dealing with the demand in A&ES.

“Patients are falling apart in the waiting room. It’s very busy,” Lorraine, a nurse in Birmingham, told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday.

“This is happening in all areas in A&E up and down the country,” said Joan, a nurse who works in an emergency ward in Manchester. “A&E is in a desperate situation at the moment.”

“The government needs to take immediate action. We need help,” he said.

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Without specifying which hospital she worked at, she said 58 patients had to wait in the corridors of its emergency ward on Tuesday night due to a shortage of beds. He said, this is happening every day.

Lorraine, a nurse who works night shifts in Birmingham, said elderly people and pensioners were worst affected.

“90-year-old women have been waiting for a bed for 24 hours,” he said.

“We try our best but if there’s no bed what can we really do? We just make the old lady as comfortable as possible, just make sure she’s okay. But no bed Not there.”

There is “chaos” inside the wards and then “you go outside, there are lots of ambulances and it’s very busy”.

He said he felt sorry for the paramedics, who were being forced to keep patients onboard for “long periods” due to lack of space in hospitals.

“And then when we get them they need a bed and there isn’t one. It’s really bad.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited a hospital south-east of London on Monday to unveil a new scheme involving the private healthcare sector to help reduce waiting times for appointments.

But nurses like Lorraine say they need to look at the reality of emergency wards today.

He said, “The Prime Minister should really sit in the waiting room, looking at the abuse we get, poor old women and pensioners, young people trying to kill themselves, people falling over, people having heart failure in the waiting room. I’m looking.” Said.

“This is 2025 – we must not see this.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said on Wednesday He was ashamed of the crisis of “patients lying in hospital corridors” But he says it doesn’t look like it will get better any time soon.

NHS bosses have said the hospital system is under strain due to a rise in flu cases, with around 5,000 cases being reported every day.

Lorraine had just come off a night shift in Birmingham when she spoke to the BBC.

“The wait time was over 14 hours and that’s terrible,” he said.

He said that the employees are having to work in 12-hour shifts with breaks.

He said there was additional pressure on specialist teams due to the back-log in emergency care, with patients waiting for surgery and other operations.

“And then when you go to the waiting room to call patients we get abuse, there will be about 20 people there, they are literally attacking you saying: “Where’s the doctor, where’s my blood, I want the results.” Needed.”

“And because they’re sick, you have to understand why they’re a little angry.”

Speaking about going on another shift on Tuesday night, Lorraine said:

“I’m really dreading it because last night was the worst night ever. But I’ll try to get some sleep and keep positive thoughts. I’m just trying to help people.”

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