NHS figures: Ambulance delays slowly improving after record waits over Christmas
Ambulance handover delays are down, and hospital bed availability is rising, according to the latest NHS figures.
In a new low for this winter period, 20% of ambulance patients waited at least 30 minutes last week to be handed over to accident and emergency teams – down from 23% in the week before.
It reached a high of 44% in the week to 1 January.
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The number of patients waiting more than an hour to be handed over hit 7% – down from 9% the week before.
Despite the positive move, the data is still worse at this time of year than any other year there is data for.
More than 13,500 hospital beds in England last week were filled with people who were fit to leave, although the number is down on recent record levels.
An average of 13,566 beds were taken up with medically fit patients in the seven days to 22 January, down from 14,036 the previous week and an all-time high of 14,069 in the week to 8 January.
At this point last year, the number stood at 12,819.
On flu patients, the number in hospital has dropped by two-thirds since the previous week, with an average of 2,034 people in a bed each day last week – down 63%.
However, that’s a huge year-on-year rise. Last year’s figure was just 36.
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Saffron Cordery, the interim chief executive at NHS Providers, the membership organisation for NHS trusts in England, praised the “remarkable progress” made in reducing handover delays, but warned there is still “relentless” pressure on urgent and emergency care services.
“As trust leaders prepare for the biggest NHS staff walkout in less than two weeks, they are having to grapple with unsafe levels of bed occupancy, with 93.8% of general and acute ward beds taken up each day last week,” she said.
“Patients are staying longer in hospital than they were this time last year, often because their illnesses are more serious, while delayed discharge remains very high. This is partly due to the lack of investment in capacity in social care and community services.
“All of these stresses are impacting care right through the system, including ambulances, hospital A&Es, mental health and community services.”
There were also fewer NHS staff absences in the week to 22 January than any other this winter.
49,260 staff were absent each day on average, compared with more than 60,000 through the middle of December and 52,960 last week.
4,144 (8.4%) were because of COVID – the lowest it’s been this winter.
It was 8,029 (12.7%) in the week to Christmas Day (the highest it’s been this year), and 5,077 (9.6%) last week.
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Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: “These new figures show that while there have been improvements in ambulance handovers and fewer flu patients in hospital, the NHS remains under significant pressure.
“Last week saw more people being taken to A&E by ambulance, bed occupancy is still constrained, and illnesses like flu and norovirus are still a very real concern.
“The NHS has done extensive preparation for this winter, including rolling out extra beds, a national falls services and nationwide 24/7 control centres to track and manage demand, and NHS staff are working flat-out to continue to provide the best care for our patients in the face of ongoing pressures.”
The data comes amid waves of strike action in the NHS, with tens of thousands of staff expected to take industrial action on 6 February, in what is likely to be the biggest day of strikes ever for the service.
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Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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