Latest NHS England figures show:
- 96% of adult hospital beds occupied
- More than 1 in 7 beds a day taken up by people who don't need
to stay in hospital
- Record number of patients in A&E waiting more than 12
hours to be seen and admitted
- Norovirus cases 62% higher than last year
- Record 18million treatments delivered in 2024
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive, NHS Providers, said:
“It has been the toughest winter for the NHS that many trust
leaders can remember, with weeks of incredibly high numbers of
people in hospital.
“Serious bugs – with norovirus cases up by 62% on last year -
have piled pressure on already stretched services.
“Wards are full of thousands of patients ready to be discharged
but can't be, often due to a lack of community NHS or social care
capacity. Last week, 1 in 7 beds were filled by these patients.
This logjam has been a challenge for years, we need a long-term
solution. It has a serious knock-on effect, with a record number
of patients waiting to be admitted through A&E.
“But in the face of non-stop pressure the NHS is bringing down
waiting lists and treating record numbers of people including
more checks, tests and cancer results as trust leaders and staff
continue to do all they can to see patients as quickly as
possible.
“Almost three in four A&E patients were seen within four
hours in January, better than the previous month, and ambulance
response times have improved.
“But the relentless pressure can take a toll on hospital, mental
health, community and ambulance service staff too. At the last
count anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses
were the most reported reason for sickness, accounting for more
than a quarter (27%) of all sickness.”
