The latest NHS performance data, released today (Thursday, 10 August) shows, among other things:
*74.0% of patients were seen within 4 hours in all A&E departments this month compared to 73.3% in June 2023 and 71.1% in July 2022. The 95% standard was last met in July 2015.
*There were 110,000 four-hour delays from decision to admit to admission this month. which compares to 136,000 in July 2022. Of these, 23,900 were delayed over twelve hours (from decision to admit to admission).
*The number of referral to treatment (RTT) pathways where a patient was waiting to start treatment at the end of June 2023 was 7.6 million. At the end of June 2023, 59.2% of patients waiting to start treatment (incomplete pathways) were waiting up to 18 weeks, thus not meeting the 92% standard.
*The total number of patients waiting six weeks or more from referral for one of the 15 key diagnostic tests at the end of June 2023 was 403, 100. This was 25.2% of the total number of patients waiting at the end of the month. Nationally, the operational standard of less than 1% of patients waiting six weeks or more was not met this month.
Full data can be found at: www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/
Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The latest data continues to show the urgent and emergency care (UEC) system, and the NHS as a whole, remains under immense strain – and this is in the summer months.
“Many acutely ill patients still receive good care, however, too many, especially older patients, continue to experience degrading and demoralising corridor care even in summer months.
“It is pleasing that the number of patients waiting 12 hours in Emergency Departments have reduced compared to this time last year. However, the numbers remain high and extremely worrying for this time of year. This reflects trajectory of great concern.
“Increasing waiting lists often result in patients attending urgent care; no longer feeling able to manage their symptoms.
“This all comes at a time of the year previously associated with some respite for staff but, as we have said before, the eternal winter that now exists in the NHS is again putting hard- working staff at risk of exhaustion.
“Along with the failure of the Government and the BMA to reach a settlement and seeming intransigence that this will be the “final” offer, the situation is deeply alarming.
“The consequence of this in particular will almost certainly mean a continuation of strikes with inevitable disruption to patient care and an inability to implement urgently needed plans to prevent the similar appalling scenes witnessed last winter being seen again this winter.
“There is, without doubt, more trouble ahead in the NHS. It is still possible to change the trajectory for the upcoming winter, but the window of opportunity is growing more narrow by the second.
“Urgent action is needed to ensure winter plans are implemented effectively and in full. If not we will inevitably be back in a situation where we face calls for national major incident type plans.
“We simply cannot wait to hit that scenario again. Clinical staff and patients, despite the difficulties, are energised to change to achieve this and the government must follow suit.”