Responding to the latest NHS winter sitrep figures the chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley, said:

"These figures give an insight into the scale of the challenges faced by trusts and frontline staff heading into the festive period.

"They are in the grip of seasonal pressures with a worrying rise in winter viruses on top of a surge in Covid-19 cases requiring hospital admission.

"There was also the added challenge of the three-day stoppage by junior doctors.

"In the face of these pressures, with rising numbers of ambulance arrivals, it was encouraging to see a significant reduction in handover delays.

"Careful planning and hard work are making their mark, but there is every prospect of the challenges intensifying in the coming weeks.

"As we head towards the new year we urge the government and unions to think afresh, and find a way to resolve the damaging and demoralising industrial dispute which has caused so much disruption for patients.

"There is still time to head off the longest strike in the history of the NHS, which is planned to get under way next week."

You can follow our analysis of the latest winter situation report figures from NHS England through our NHS Winter Watch campaign.