[Margaret Pilkington]

Every A&E that is closed increases the pressure on the remaining A&E departments.

If GP services were better then maybe, just maybe some of that pressure might ease.
It would still not solve the pressure on hospital beds though.
It is a sad fact that the closure of wards has made it impossible to accommodate all the patients that need beds.
Also what complicates things is that local councils have to pay for interim residential or half way house care. Every day that they can keep a patient in hospital rather than in a council provided care means money saved.

It isn't just a case of overhauling the NHS, social care needs to be overhauled too and the two services need to run in tandem and complement each other.
It does not matter how much money is thrown at the NHS, if social care is lacking or underfunded then any improvements will never have the desired effects.
You do not need to be a genius to see this.