Responding to this week's strike action and its impact on the days ahead, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"The NHS has faced significant challenge this week with trusts and their frontline teams doing their level best to provide patients with the care they need as they deal with the consequences of two days of strike action by nurses and ambulance workers.

"Trust leaders have done everything they can to prepare for this week's strike action, alongside pleas to the public to use emergency services sensibly.

"We have seen varying levels of disruption across the country with some 999 demand shifting to other services or not materialising as expected. However, demand for care across the entire NHS remains high and trust leaders are reporting ongoing delays to ambulance services and overcrowding at some A&Es.

"A number of trusts have declared critical incidents, indicating the pressure they're under, in order to access support from other health and care partners.

"Trust leaders and their teams have done everything in their power to ensure patients receive safe care, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Despite their best efforts, we have also heard reports of leaders and their staff feeling a sense of helplessness and moral injury at not being able to help everyone who needs the NHS and the care it provides. This is distressing and a reflection of the enormous pressure NHS staff are under, the standard to which they hold themselves, and the quality of care they want to give patients.

"Leaders across the NHS also know that as this week's strike action draws to a close, the disruption is far from over. The fallout from strike action is likely to spill over into the coming days due to the knock-on impact across different parts of the health and care system, the need to reschedule elective and outpatient appointments, and the anticipation of a return to very high numbers of emergency calls. There is particular concern about patients who may have delayed seeking care – and whose conditions have deteriorated – now coming forward for treatment.

"Trust leaders will learn from the events of this week to strengthen plans for next week's strike action by ambulance workers. They do of course understand how strongly nurses and ambulance staff feel and why below-inflation pay awards against a backdrop of the rising cost of living, severe staff shortages and ever-increasing workloads have brought them to take strike action this week.

"They are once again reiterating their call for urgent, serious talks – including on pay – between health ministers and unions to avert more strikes in the future."