Trusts facing uphill battle as demand for emergency services continues to soar

Responding to the publication of the latest performance statistics by NHS England, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley said:

"There's been no respite for urgent and emergency services this month as demand for care hit another record high.

"Despite the best efforts of trust leaders and their teams, they faced an uphill battle to meet an ambitious recovery target to ensure 76% of patients were seen within four hours in A&E.

"They are continuing to work flat out to see patients as quickly as possible though and we are seeing some welcome progress in other parts of the NHS.

"Thanks to trusts' hard work, a crucial cancer target has now been met for the first time and more patients are receiving checks and scans. While the waiting list has not got any longer, trust leaders know the pressure is on to ensure patients get the care they need as soon as possible.

"Demand for mental health care remains worryingly high. The jump in the number of patients having to travel out of their local area to access care shows just how stretched local mental health services are right now."