The NHS is seeing unprecedented demand this winter with record admissions to hospitals and a quadrupling in the number of flu cases.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has called on the NHS to prioritise patient safety as the health service battles record pressures heading into winter.
“This winter I want to see patient safety prioritised as we brace ourselves for the coming months. I’m asking trusts to focus on ambulance delays, handovers and the longest A&E waits,” he said at a specially convened meeting with NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard and other trust leads from across the country to discuss growing pressures on urgent and emergency care services.
The latest data shows that the NHS is going into winter under more strain than ever before, with record numbers of people in the hospital and a spike in the number of flu admissions at the end of November compared to the same time last year.
“The NHS is already seeing unprecedented demand going into winter, with flu cases quadrupling, thousands more ambulance callouts and rising pressures causing unacceptable waits for patients,” says Pritchard.
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She said that the NHS had delivered more than 27 million vaccinations since September and that staff had expanded virtual wards – almost 2,000 more this year – so more patients can receive hospital-style care at home.
The pressure on services was confirmed by Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). “Flu is sharply increasing and putting higher numbers in hospital. Unless more of those at risk and eligible for a vaccine come forward, this trend is likely to continue,” she said.
The health secretary’s comments were welcomed by Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation.
“It is very welcome that the secretary of state has made it clear what his priorities are this winter. We have been highlighting the need to prioritise urgent and emergency care to manage winter pressures, so it is good the message has been heard and accepted,” he says.
“Patient safety must be paramount, and speaking to local leaders today, the message was clear: we need every part of the NHS, and social care partners, working together to manage demand and ensure patients with the most urgent needs are prioritised,” concludes Pritchard.
