28.02.20
NHS Providers: Urgent action plan needed to mitigate winter pressures
This latest weekly winter reporting data published by NHS England and NHS Improvement, which has seen NHS performance improve slightly.
Director of Policy and Strategy at NHS Providers, Miriam Deakin, called for an urgent action plan for social care to help mitigate winter pressures.
Ms Deakin said: “This week we have seen NHS performance improve slightly compared to recent weeks, which is a real testament to the efforts of frontline staff. It is encouraging to see that the number of people arriving by ambulances at hospitals has fallen below last year’s levels, and there have been fewer delays in admitting patients to hospital than last week.
“However, we must not become complacent. Although we have seen an improvement this week, the number of people occupying a hospital bed is still higher than recommended and pressures are still mounting with the prospect of snow and seasonal weather ahead.
“Trust are also working hard to test potential cases of coronavirus. The NHS is well prepared to deal with an uptake in cases of the virus, but extra resources are needed to support people concerned they may have the disease and to ensure that day-to-day services are not affected.
“Within this context of rising demand, figures released today also confirm that the NHS is still coping with 100,000 staff vacancies. We also need to see an urgent action plan for social care, particularly given that proposed changes to the immigration system are likely to affect the recruitment of staff. This is vital to ensure we have a sustainable health and care system, working hard-in-hand.”