A quarter of ambulance patients in England wait an hour to get to A&E after arrival | NHS

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More than a quarter of ambulance patients in England waited more than an hour to be admitted to A&E in the last week of 2022, amid ‘one of the toughest winters’ in NHS history.

Of all those who arrived by ambulance in the week ending January 1, 26.3% waited with crews for more than 60 minutes.

This affected 18,720 patients, a much higher number than in the past six winters and possibly the highest number on record.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the figures “underline the stark reality of the pressures being endured by NHS leaders, their staff and their patients”, which he said represented “crisis conditions with inherent risks to patient safety”.

He added: “We must learn the hard lessons of this winter and the government must commit to giving the health and care system the tools and support it needs to avoid a winter as bad as this one.

“It is critical to take swift action to address, as a vital first step, the worsening workforce crisis in health and care, and to reach a compromise with unions to stop this devastating industrial action.”

It comes as the government announced on Friday evening that the prime minister would hold emergency talks with NHS leaders on Saturday to address the “most critical challenges” including emergency care.

Figures show that more than 43% of incoming ambulances waited more than 30 minutes for their entry to A&E in the same week, either waiting with staff in the back of an ambulance or in the corridors of a hospital.

The ongoing impact of a combination of influenza, covid, and RSV respiratory infection is all contributing to pressure on the service.

More than 5,400 flu beds were needed in the week through New Year’s Day, up 45% from the previous week. The equivalent number in the winter of 2021-22 was just 39.

The release of the same data shows the number of patients in intensive care beds with the flu increased by more than a quarter (26%) to 336 compared to 267 the week before.

The number of Covid patients in hospitals across England rose by nearly 1,200 compared to the previous week, with an average of 9,390 hospitalized patients with Covid per day – with 88 beds required per day on average for children with RSV.

An additional 12,809 beds were accommodated by patients medically fit for discharge in the same week – an increase of 30% over the previous winter.

A total of 3,562 critical care beds were occupied in the last week of the year, two shorter than the same week in 2020-21.

Miriam Deakin, director of policy at NHS Providers, said the confluence of influenza and Covid-19 means that “more people need medical care at a time when there are far fewer beds and staff than needed”.

The NHS’ National Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Boyce, said: “It remains essential that people make the most of services such as 111 online and as always use 999 only in emergencies, and it is also important that eligible people come forward.” Flu and Covid vaccines ASAP.”

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About one in 20 people in the community, or 2.5 million, had Covid in England in the week ending December 28, up from one in 45 for the week ending December 9. The figure was one in 18 in Wales, one in 25 in Scotland and one in 16 in Northern Ireland, according to the latest figures.

According to the latest data for England from the UK’s Health Security Agency, the overall weekly hospitalization rate for Covid in the last week of 2022 was 10.71 per 100,000. While this is a slight drop from the previous week, officials have warned that the data May be affected by reporting delays and public holidays.

Asked by broadcasters after the figures were published, the health secretary, Steve Barclay, said the government had recognized the “huge pressure” on the health service.

He said the government was allocating additional funding to address the problem, particularly focusing on “removing people from hospital who are eligible for discharge, but who are often delayed on the wards.”

Barclay will join NHS medical leaders and chief executives at the ‘NHS Recovery Forum’ on Saturday, which is being hosted by the Prime Minister.

The government announced on Friday evening that Rishi Sunak would hold talks in Downing Street that “bring together the best minds from the health and care sectors to help share knowledge and practical solutions, so we can tackle the challenges that matter most”.

Responding to the forum’s announcement, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said: “After 13 years of NHS mismanagement, this is the equivalent of arsonists holding a forum with the fire brigade to put out the hell they started.

“Patients deserve more than a modern store.”

Taylor said Saturday’s meeting would not be able to solve the problems facing the health and care sectors. “The truth is, there is no silver bullet here,” he said.

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