Regulator underlines persistent pressure on A&E as winter looms

NHS urgent and emergency care services nationally continue to be under intense pressure, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) says.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive, NHS Providers, said: 

"As the CQC says, pressures on services are only likely to increase as we head into winter, regularly the toughest and busiest time of year for the NHS.

"Its findings show that too often patients in A&E face delays for assessment, pain relief and treatment and are not kept properly informed. Trust leaders and frontline staff are keenly aware of these concerns and are doing everything they can to tackle them. It is a challenging environment for them to work in.

"Long waits are a product of years of underinvestment in services, a relentless rise in demand and more than 12,000 beds each day taken up by people who are ready to leave hospital but can’t, often due to a lack of social care capacity in the community.

"Many hospitals, mental health, community and ambulance services face huge financial and operational challenges every day. We have just seen a record number of the most urgent ambulance call outs - 37% more than pre-pandemic - and the most 999 calls of any month this year, on top of a record number of A&E attendances in the past year. 

"This year’s early winter has made its mark on many parts of the NHS and the extra demand it brings will make it hard to maintain progress on reducing discharge delays and waiting times but trusts continue to work flat out to see patients as quickly as possible."