Improving Accident and Emergency care

I am pleased to see that today the government published a major plan to improve urgent and emergency care services, with the aim to cut NHS waiting times.

The NHS is facing serious challenges as a result of the Covid pandemic and the worst flu season for over a decade. We saw the highest ever number of people attending A&E in December, which combined with high hospital occupancy rates means some patients are facing unacceptable delays. 

The government is already working to tackle waiting lists – raising health and social care funding to record levels, investing over £750 million this year to speed up the discharge of medically fit patients, and hiring a record number of doctors and nurses, which is welcome, but more still needs to be done. 

So it is good news that the government is launching an Urgent and Emergency Care Plan to fix A&E and ambulance waiting times over the next two years by: 

• Increasing capacity with £1 billion for more beds and ambulances; supported by more staff.

• Reducing pressure on hospitals by speeding up discharge; expanding new, innovative measures to treat patients safely in the community; and enhancing the role of NHS 111.

• Improving local A&E services by sharing and promoting best practice, so no matter where you live, you can get the care you need.

• I hope central and local government, local communities, NHS leaders and staff will be able to work together to help the NHS recover from the huge pressure it is under and the moment and cut waiting lists, with one of the fastest improvements in emergency waiting times in the history of the NHS, making sure people get the care they need easier, faster, and closer to home.