Winter pressure putting significant strain on NHS trusts and staff
14 February 2019
- NHS England publishes combined performance data covering A&E performance for January 2019 and performance against RTT and cancer targets for December 2018.
- It comes alongside week ten of winter sitrep data.
- A&E performance against the 4-hour target reached its lowest recorded level of 84.4%.
- In January the NHS saw an additional 75,670 patients within 4 hours compared to last year.
- Bed occupancy has reached the highest point of the winter so far at 95.2%.
- RTT performance is at its lowest since 2009 – at 86.6%.
- Trusts have worked hard to get cancer performance up.
The director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin said:
“The figures today show that demand for NHS care during winter has once again put significant strain on trusts and staff.
“The speed at which demand is increasing means that performance against the four-hour target in January has slipped to 84.4% - its worst recorded level. However the NHS treated an additional 75,670 patients within 4 hours compared to last year.
With bed occupancy currently sitting at the highest point of this winter, the ability of trusts to carry out planned operations has been impacted with more people waiting longer for routine surgery.
“This is largely down to the work trusts have been doing to improve patient flow and reducing the time patients spend in hospital. Improved joined up working with partners in the community and primary care is also helping to support trusts to manage demand better.
“These pressures expand beyond emergency care. With bed occupancy currently sitting at the highest point of this winter, the ability of trusts to carry out planned operations has been impacted with more people waiting longer for routine surgery.
Despite wider pressures trusts have begun to improve performance against key cancer targets and are now meeting the two-week urgent referral target.
“But it is encouraging to see that despite wider pressures, trusts have begun to improve performance against key cancer targets and are now meeting the two-week urgent referral target.
“It is clear that NHS staff are continuing to work under severe pressure but will continue to pull out all stops to respond to winter pressures and provide high-quality care to those that need it most.”
Keep track of NHS winter performance with perspective from the front line with our NHS winter watch series.