MPs write to Health and Social Care Secretary on winter pressures

The Health and Social Care Committee has today written to the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Wes Streeting, to ask for an update on the steps that the Government is taking to support the NHS and the broader health and social care system, in light of the high demands they are facing, with the number of people in England's hospitals with flu quadrupling in the last month.

The Committee's letter asks what support will be provided to NHS Trusts that have declared a critical incident, including after the incidents end, to mitigate the impact on elective procedures.

The Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran MP, said:

“It is very worrying to hear of the strain that A&E departments across the country are under and of NHS Trusts having to declare critical incidents because of the high number of people attending with winter illnesses and the spike in flu cases. 

“As a committee, we have written to the Health Secretary today to ask what the Department is doing to support health services to cope with the exceptionally high demand they are facing.”