Issued by: Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and UK Health Security Agency

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting held a specially-convened meeting with trust leads this morning as the NHS battles record pressures in winter.

• Wes Streeting held a specially-convened meeting with trust leads this morning to address critical A&E situation

• He told attendees to prioritise patient safety by focussing on key metrics including improving emergency ambulance response times, addressing handover delays and tackling the longest waits in A&E

• Government’s Plan for Change includes priority mission of tackling waiting lists to help reduce pressures on the wider health system

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has asked NHS leaders to prioritise patient safety as the health service battles record pressures heading into winter.

Mr Streeting made the appeal as he held a specially-convened meeting with NHS England Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard and other trust leads from across the country this morning to discuss growing pressures on urgent and emergency care services.

Latest data shows the NHS is going into winter under more strain than ever before, with record numbers of people in hospital and over four times more flu admissions at the end of November compared to the same time last year.

At Monday’s meeting at NHSE’s headquarters in London, Mr Streeting told NHS leaders he does not want to see trusts prioritising patients who can be seen and discharged more quickly over those with the greatest clinical need.

Instead, he wants a focus on improving emergency ambulance response times, addressing handover delays and tackling the longest waits in A&E - putting patients ahead of targets.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

“We inherited a broken NHS that saw annual winter crisis as the norm. This year, we’re seeing record pressures on services as we move into December.

“This winter I want to see patient safety prioritised as we brace ourselves for the coming months. I’m asking trusts to focus on ambulance delays, handovers and the longest A&E waits.

“We’ve already taken immediate action to keep patients safe by ending strikes – meaning this is the first winter in three years without staff on the picket line.

“This government’s Plan for Change sets out our work to bring down waiting lists, alongside the 10 Year Health Plan that will deliver fundamental reform to build an NHS that is there for us all year round.

“And I’d appeal to all eligible people to join the 27 million who have already protected themselves and the NHS, and get vaccinated.“

Last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out the government’s Plan for Change, which includes the priority mission of tackling waiting lists to help reduce pressures on the wider health system.

Reducing the elective waiting list of over 7.5 million will allow the government to deliver on its ambitions for long term reform, give people the care they need, when they need it, and lay the foundations of a sustainable health system - including in A&E.

It will also help get people back to work across the country and over time reduce pressures on the wider health service.

At the meeting on Monday, Mr Streeting thanked staff for their preparation and hard work to keep people safe as hospital admissions climb.

NHS leaders also provided updates on some of the pressures they are facing across the health system, as well as sharing experiences of managing past winter crises.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said:

“The NHS is already seeing unprecedented demand going into winter, with flu cases quadrupling, thousands more ambulance callouts and rising pressures causing unacceptable waits for patients.

“While staff have worked hard to prepare – including expanding virtual wards so more patients can receive hospital-style care at home and delivering over 27 million vaccinations since September – we know services are set to come under even more strain.

“Patient safety must be paramount, and speaking to local leaders today, the message was clear: we need every part of the NHS, and social care partners, working together to manage demand and ensure patients with the most urgent needs are prioritised.

“As always, the public have an important part to play in helping NHS staff over winter, by calling 999 and using A&E in an emergency only, while using NHS 111 to access the right support for urgent health needs.”

Vaccinations are a key factor in keeping people out of hospital and relieving pressure on services over winter. A combined total of more than 27 million people have so far come forward for the flu, Covid and RSV winter vaccinations.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is monitoring rates of winter viruses and has urged people who are eligible to come forward for the jabs.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said:

“Flu is sharply increasing and putting higher numbers in hospital. Unless more of those at risk and eligible for a vaccine come forward, this trend is likely to continue, resulting in more hospitalisations over Christmas and tragically resulting in more deaths than we saw last year over Christmas. We shouldn’t forget flu can still be very serious for some and the vaccine is our best defence.

“There is still time to change this trajectory and reduce the spread of flu, but time is running out. It’s vital you book your vaccine online as soon as possible before the NHS booking system closes on 19 December. Healthcare workers - who are particularly at risk - should also get the jab, not only to protect themselves, but their patients, colleagues and families.”

The NHS has also already put in place a number of measures to counter expected winter pressures, including:

• Monitoring hospitals 24/7 - to identify those needing targeted support to reduce long A&E waits and avoidable admissions. Using situational reporting, local systems can respond to pressures in real time using live data.

• Expanding same-day emergency care services – meaning over 2.5 million patients a year are being cared for in one day, rather than needing to spend the night in hospital. More than 200,000 patients were seen by SDEC services (https://shorturl.at/lmLI2) last year compared to the previous year.

• Increasing the number of virtual wards – introducing nearly 2,000 more virtual ward beds this year, which has allowed hundreds of thousands of patients to receive hospital-level care from the comfort of their homes.

• Dispatching urgent community response teams – which can treat people in their homes to relieve pressure on hospitals. Through these teams, older people and adults with complex health needs who urgently need care, can get fast access to a range of health and social care professionals within two hours. This includes access to physiotherapy and occupational therapy, medication prescribing and reviews, and help with staying well-fed and hydrated.

• Improving discharge for patients with complex needs – through care transfer hubs at every hospital, increasing the number of discharges by around 10,000 in October compared to the same month last year.

• Delivering winter vaccinations – including more than 27 million flu, RSV and Covid vaccinations combined so far.

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