THE country’s beloved NHS is constantly under stress and pressure facing what feels like continuous cuts to funding.

From the ageing population, to bed blocking, to junior doctor strikes, your operation could be cancelled for a myriad of reasons.

Now an experienced doctor has warned that the NHS is heading into “pockets of meltdown” this winter as the pressure has become too much.

Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the resilience of medical units was being “put to the test like never before”.

This statement came a day after the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said the Government would fail to achieve its aim of a full seven-day NHS without more cash.

He warned that hospitals are cutting services and the NHS risked “slowly deteriorating” as it did in the 1990s.

Hospitals are cutting services and the NHS is risking a slow deterioration, like the one experienced in the 90s, Mr Hopson said.

He told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “We have now got hospital trusts having to close services. We have also got trusts who are saying that the only way to make the money add up is to cut the workforce.

“These are all things that have been done by other public services but it’s very different for the NHS.”

He added: “They cannot provide the right quality of care and meet the performance standards on the money that is available and something has to give.

“We should have a proper debate about what should give, rather than pretending the gap doesn’t exist or leaving it up to each individual area to make a decision about what should give.”

Over recent weeks, junior doctors cancelled another protest in their ongoing row over junior contracts with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, this time a full walk-out for five days, but the threat of further strike action looms.

Dr Holland confirmed this concern, stating that hospitals and parts of the NHS that were already weak would find the winter months difficult.

He also pointed to the “national emergency” of medically fit patients not being discharged home from hospital. This is partly due to inadequate social care in the community.

He said: “At the core of the issues facing the NHS is the rapidly increasing number of delayed discharges. The figures are spiralling and are fast becoming disastrous.

“If hospitals cannot discharge patients then the system comes to a halt. We need an overhaul of the discharge and social care process nationally so we can release pressure on front-of-house services in our hospitals – it is a national emergency.”

But the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group isn’t concerned for the colder months. As a spokesman has said it is not expecting a meltdown of any Somerset hospitals this winter.

He stated that managing the increased demand for services in the winter isn’t something a hospital can fix just by opening more beds.

Paul Courtney, communications chief at the CCG, said: “To effectively manage demand the whole Somerset health and social care system works together to support the frail elderly and most vulnerable.

“GP practices are playing their part by supporting frail elderly patients and helping them to avoid bouts of serious illness.

“Patients who do need to be admitted to hospital are supported with local authority social care services to ensure patients can be quickly discharged from hospital to the community or their home when they are medically fit to do so.

“People can help themselves and their local NHS by taking care of their health and helping people in the most vulnerable groups in the population – like the frail elderly and people living with long-term health conditions, like heart and lung disease – ensuring they get their seasonal flu vaccination, keeping warm and eating a hot meal every day.

“Asking friends or family to buy a few over the counter cold and flu remedies before the onset of the winter months is also sensible.

“Friends, relatives and neighbours can also look out for each other’s welfare and help the vulnerable by getting items from the shops or clearing autumn leaves or ice and snow from paths or pavements.

“If people do become ill after their GP surgery has closed and need urgent health advice or information they should dial 111. This is the NHS 24-hour health helpline. It’s free to call from mobile or landline.”

Although the most recent plans for industrial strikes from the junior doctors have been shelved, they still plan to continue strikes this winter.

Further protests are set to take place on October 5, 6 and 7, then on October 10 and 11, November 14-18 and December 5-9.

A Musgrove spokesman said senior clinicians, nursing staff and operation leads worked together to put robust plans in place to ensure that the hospital remained completely safe during the past strikes and this time will be no different.

He added: “We have again started planning for the latest strike days and are confident that anyone coming to hospital in this period will get the high quality, safe care they can expect from us.

“Unfortunately we know that it will mean that we will have to postpone some planned surgery and appointments to ensure that we are able to continue to deliver high quality care to those people who need us in an emergency. However, we do not yet know the extent of that.

“Where this has been necessary we have been contacting those affected directly as soon as possible and will re-arrange appointments as soon as possible.

“We apologise for any inconvenience. However, patient safety is always our utmost priority.”