HOW many more of these stories are we going to have to read before the Government takes meaningful action?

Today’s story reveals the worryingly high numbers of patients on wards across Sussex.

Hospitals are supposed to have no more than 85 per cent of their beds occupied to minimise the risk of infections.

However, information from NHS England shows hospitals have been averaging about 93 per cent over the last two months.

In the week ending January 29, an average 96 per cent of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust’s general and acute beds were filled.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust was even higher, with a rate of 98 per cent. Western Sussex Hospitals also had 96 per cent.

Hospital bosses have not been able to discharge patients fast enough.

There are a number of reasons why, one being that care packages are not in place for elderly and frail patients.

Hospitals are now battling to discharge patients at the same rate they are being admitted.

This has had a knock-on effect on other departments like accident and emergency, where patients face long waits for a bed to become available.

The problems at A&Es have been well documented, especially at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

And caught in the middle of all this are the thousands of dedicated NHS staff doing their very best under increasingly difficult conditions.

They deserve better and so do we. The future of the NHS is at stake and the Government better get its act together soon.