Responding to the National Audit Office (NAO) report, Access to unplanned or urgent care, on NHS services available to people who need rapid access to urgent, emergency, or other non-routine health services, Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers said:

"The growing mismatch between high demand and limited capacity – including beds and staff – means patients can't be seen as quickly as trust leaders or staff would like. This is affecting all areas of the NHS, including in urgent and emergency care, mental health and community services.

"Trust leaders are working hard to deliver timely, high-quality care for patients, but this mismatch can, and does, leave some people waiting too long. This problem will continue until longstanding challenges including the need for better national workforce planning and better capital investment are properly resolved.

"However, despite recent challenges including last winter being one of the toughest ever for the NHS, trust leaders have helped ensure many patients get the right care in the right place by improving services, for example with 'hospital at home' services, urgent community response services and new ways of supporting outpatient care.

"More patients are also being seen despite waiting times not yet being at the level the public deserves.

"It's clear trust leaders' efforts need to be bolstered by action on a national level, including with the publication of the government's long-awaited long-term workforce plan."