NHS England has announced plans to prepare for the busy winter period.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive, NHS Providers, said:

"The NHS has had its busiest summer ever and trusts expect another worryingly tough winter.

"With no new money to back it up, the action plan from NHS England only tweaks the edges albeit with some sensible help for trusts and local healthcare systems.

"The report by Lord Darzi diagnosed the bigger problem but unfortunately the remedies won’t be in place in time to tackle the usual winter pressures.

"Trusts and their teams will be pulling out all the stops to keep patients safe and to look after the wellbeing of NHS staff who face another busy winter knowing they don’t have all the tools to do the job they want to providing first-class care."