Progress in key areas in the face of strong demand

Responding to the latest NHS performance figures the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Isabel Lawicka, said:

“These figures show there’s been progress in some key areas in the face of continuing strong demand.

“It is particularly encouraging to see more people getting their planned hospital treatment within 18 weeks.

“The increase in diagnostic tests and checks is making a real difference for thousands of patients.

“Trust leaders are keenly aware of the importance of reducing long delays in urgent and emergency care, and the risk of damaging consequences when people wait too long.

“There is still a very long way to go but we have seen some progress in recent months. The improvement in today’s ambulance response figures is very welcome.

“The picture for children and young people is mixed. There have been significant improvements in the numbers accessing mental health support but we're seeing record high numbers of children and young people waiting for more than 52 weeks to access community services – this figure has more than doubled since last year.

“We look forward to the publication of the urgent and emergency care plan – with the hope that it can help to build on recent gains and put the NHS in a better position for the challenging months to come.”