‘Acute medicine as a specialty has never been more important’: Latest issue of Future Healthcare Journal explores the future of NHS acute medical services

Guest edited by consultant acute physician and Society for Acute Medicine (SAM) England representative Dr Anika Wijewardane, the June 2026 edition of FHJ focuses on how acute care must evolve to meet rising patient demand, workforce pressures and rapid advances in technology.

Introducing this month’s issue, she explains, ‘acute medicine as a specialty has never been more important. Urgent and emergency care services are under enormous pressure. Demand continues to rise, hospital capacity is stretched, and delays in care have become normalised to an extent that would once have been unimaginable. Yet the cumulative evidence, and the lived experience of clinicians and patients, consistently demonstrates that well-functioning acute medical services improve patient care, reduce avoidable admissions and enhance overall hospital performance.’

Looking ahead to the decades to come, Dr Ragit Varia predicts that ‘by 2050, acute medicine is likely to operate within a profoundly different clinical and organisational landscape’, with care delivered across ‘connected networks spanning homes, community settings, virtual environments and specialist hubs.’ In fact, models of care are already shifting: ‘same day emergency care will evolve into continuous acute care’, supported by ‘intelligent triage, portable diagnostics and real-time coordination’, alongside new acute care hubs integrating ambulatory and short-stay services. The issue also reflects on the importance of collaboration across specialties and settings. Contributors highlight that delivering high-quality care increasingly depends on multidisciplinary working, with strong links between hospital, community and primary care services.

Acute internal medicine is placed at the centre of this transformation. The specialty is described by SAM president Dr Vicky Price as operating ‘at the front door of the hospital where the multidisciplinary team work together’ to provide early senior decision-making and manage complex, acute presentations. She describes how ‘collaboration between specialties remains essential to improve outcomes for acutely unwell adults.’ Dr Sarbjit Clare, Jane Ho and Rachel Barlow explore how reconfiguring acute medical units can deliver measurable improvements in patient flow, including shorter lengths of stay and more patients being discharged directly home.

Patient experience is a consistent theme. Sue Astbury, a lay representative who works with NHS England, SAM and the Advisory Committee Clinical Impact Awards, reflects that while clinical care is critical, ‘what I remember most clearly, however, is not the tests or treatments but how people made me feel. I was, quite literally, seen, sorted and sent home.’ This perspective reinforces the importance of delivering timely, compassionate care even as services evolve.

Digital innovation features prominently, with a variety of authors, including Dr Chris Subbe, Dr Anne Kinderlerer, Dr Yogini H Jani, Dr Tim Cooksley and Dr Kyaw Myat Thu, exploring how tools such as virtual wards, point-of-care diagnostics and AI can reshape care pathways.They examine how better use of information can support clinical decision-making, streamline pathways and help organisations respond more effectively to demand. Dr Ragit Varia predicts that by 2050, advances will be ‘fully embedded into clinical workflows, supporting earlier recognition of deterioration, safer decision-making and more personalised care, while returning clinician time to the bedside.’

Looking ahead, the journal emphasises the need to invest in leadership and the medical workforce. Dr Clare Carasco and Dr Sanjay Krishnamoorthy argue that ‘diagnosing and treating illness is only a fraction of what clinicians of the future will do’, calling for a stronger focus on developing clinical leaders to drive system-wide change.

‘The way acute care is structured and delivered, and how well it integrates with pre-hospital services and other specialties, matters now more than ever,’ says Dr Anika Wijewardane. ‘The June 2026 issue of Future Healthcare Journal showcases practical, evidence-based approaches that can be adopted and adapted to make a real difference for patients. Crucially, improving working conditions, training and professional development will be critical to sustaining high-quality care for patients, because without a supported, valued workforce, innovation cannot succeed.’