• NHS England and NHS Improvement have published the latest combined performance figures.
• The figures show that A&E attendances are 6.9% higher than the same time last year, with A&E performance figures slipping to 85.4%.
• RTT percentage treated within 18 weeks drops to 85.0%, a new record low.
• The elective waiting list reached a new record high 4.41 million.
• The two week wait for cancer referrals reached a new low, and the 31 day standard was just met.
• The ambulance service missed both C1 and C2 mean response times.
  
  

Responding to the latest monthly performance figures from NHS England/Improvement, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:

“These figures show just how much pressure trusts are under, and how hard staff are working to see and treat patients. Hospitals are attending to more people in A&E within four hours and carrying out more diagnostic tests than at this point last year.

Hospitals are attending to more people in A&E within four hours and carrying out more diagnostic tests than at this point last year.

Miriam Deakin    Co-Director of Development and Engagement

“But demand is increasing at a worrying rate, with 7% more A&E attendances than last September, leading to further slippage in performance against the waiting time standard.

“Surges in demand in urgent and emergency care have a knock-on effect on the health and care system, in and outside of hospital settings. This month we saw more patients waiting longer than ever before for routine operations and for urgent suspected cancer referrals by GPs, and the waiting list for planned care is at its greatest size in over a decade.

Despite trusts working incredibly hard to prepare and keep patients safe, there is a strong likelihood that these pressures will intensify across the health and care system this winter with patients waiting longer for the treatment they need.

Miriam Deakin    Co-Director of Development and Engagement

“Despite trusts working incredibly hard to prepare and keep patients safe, there is a strong likelihood that these pressures will intensify across the health and care system this winter with patients waiting longer for the treatment they need.”