As we move towards the end of the year, it is important to reflect on what has been an extraordinary and demanding period across the NHS. Waiting lists have reached record levels, and emergency departments continue to experience unprecedented pressures. In trauma and emergency surgery, these statistics translate directly into our daily reality: delayed transfers, crowded resuscitation areas, and teams working at full stretch. Workforce shortages persist across every specialty, and the impact is felt in longer waits for patients and increasing strain on staff.
Yet amid these challenges, the commitment of surgical teams remains unwavering. The NHS continues to be sustained by professionalism, teamwork, and the shared purpose of caring for patients. Political debate often centres on reform and efficiency, but at the bedside it is people, not policy, that hold the system together.
Those working in trauma and emergency surgery are frequently at the sharpest end of care. The work is unpredictable, demanding, and deeply human. Every day brings decisions made under pressure and moments that remind us why we chose this profession. Seeing a patient recover from major injury or reunite with their family gives perspective and purpose amid the pressure.
As further industrial action looms, there is understandable fatigue. But once again, we will come together - consultants, trainees, nurses, ODPs, and ward staff, to ensure that patients receive the care they need. That collective resilience defines our service. However, goodwill alone cannot sustain a health system. A safe, sustainable future for emergency and trauma care requires investment: in staff, in training, in operating capacity, and in the wider systems that enable safe discharge and prevent avoidable admissions.
This week’s Emergency General Surgery Symposium highlighted the importance of maintaining and developing robust emergency surgery services. The breadth of speakers and topics provided a valuable forum to share ideas, challenge practice, and advocate for the resources needed to deliver high-quality emergency surgical care across the UK.
Despite the strain, the compassion and dedication of those working within the NHS remain its strongest foundations. Thank you to all who continue to show up, lead, and deliver care - one patient, one operation, one day at a time. As winter approaches, let us remain focused on what unites us: our patients, our colleagues, and our shared commitment to the profession and to the values on which the NHS was founded.
Miss Kate Hancorn
