A&E departments and ambulance crews confronted their busiest October on document – and now the NHS is braced for “one of the toughest winters the health service has faced”.
New figures from NHS England revealed as much as 40% of these attending A&E are already ready longer than 4 hours, with the quantity surging from 129,004 sufferers in September to 142,734 in October.
Of these admitted to hospital after attending an accident or emergency division, one in 10 are having to attend 12 hours or longer for a mattress – 54,314 in October, up from 44,765 in September.
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3:20
‘Are you content to let sufferers undergo?’
Waits for most cancers remedy are additionally rising, the figures revealed.
In September, 73.9% of sufferers who suspected they’d most cancers had the illness both identified or dominated out inside 28 days, down from 74.6% in August, and beneath the goal of 75%.
In the identical interval, the proportion of sufferers who had waited not than 62 days for his or her first definitive most cancers remedy fell from 69.1% to 67.9%.
In the meantime, the newest figures present that A&E attendances have been 37,000 increased than October 2024, at 2.36 million. Ambulance incidents additionally jumped by almost 50,000 in contrast with October final 12 months to 806,441.
It comes as 1000’s of resident medical doctors throughout England are getting ready to strike for 5 days from 7am on Friday.
Picture:
Wes Streeting talking on the NHS Suppliers’ annual convention and exhibition at Manchester Central.
Pic: PA
General, an estimated 7.39 million remedies have been ready to be carried out on the finish of September, relating to six.24 million sufferers, down from 7.41 million remedies and 6.25 million sufferers on the finish of August.
Well being Secretary Wes Streeting mentioned the slight decline on the quantity ready for remedy was proof the NHS was “now on the road to recovery”.
However Meghana Pandit, NHS nationwide medical director, warned that providers can be pushed to capability this winter.
“Flu is peaking early and looking like it will be long lasting, while industrial action starting on Friday comes on the back of the busiest October in A&E in NHS history.”
Picture:
Ambulances outdoors the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. File pic: PA
To ease the strain, she urged the general public to get flu, COVID, and RSV jabs, to make use of the NHS 111 helpline for non-urgent assist, and to solely name 999 or attend A&E for life-threatening emergencies.
Tim Gardner, assistant director of coverage on the Well being Basis, painted a equally ominous image.
He mentioned: “The figures present a challenging outlook for the NHS, particularly as it heads into what NHS leaders have warned is likely to be one of the toughest winters the health service has faced.”
It got here as, on the finish of September, an estimated 1,489 sufferers have been ready greater than 18 months to start out routine hospital remedy, up from 1,418 in August.
However well being chiefs famous that the quantity stood at 2,701 a 12 months earlier, in September 2024.
There was additionally a drop within the variety of folks ready greater than a 12 months to start out routine hospital remedy, from 190,549 on the finish of August to 180,329 a month later.
The quantity now represents 2.4% of the full, down from 2.6% a month earlier than – with a aim to get it beneath 1% by March subsequent 12 months.
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14.4 million flu vaccines have additionally been delivered to date this autumn – some 160,000 greater than on the identical level final 12 months.
Mr Streeting mentioned: “The past year is the first time in 15 years that waiting lists have fallen.
“There is a lengthy solution to go, however the NHS is now on the highway to restoration,” he added.
