Commenting on the latest combined performance data from NHS England, Jonathan Ashworth MP Shadow Minister for Health said:
“Yet again, these shocking figures paint a picture of an NHS in crisis. These figures are especially worrying as we go into what is expected to be an very challenging winter for our overstretched hospitals.
“Too many people are waiting too long in our overcrowded Accident and Emergency departments. The ambulance figures showing that some of the most seriously ill emergency patients are waiting way beyond the target time are shocking – the reality is that these delays are putting lives at risk. This is unacceptable.
“The number of days lost to delayed discharges from hospitals is at a record high. This situation is extremely distressing for older people stranded on hospital wards, and is a direct result of Tory cuts to social care. Failure to deal with the crisis facing our social care system is putting added pressure on our A&E departments.
“This Conservative Government is taking our health service backwards. These figures are bad news for patients and the Government needs to take urgent action.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
Performance data released today by NHS England shows that delayed transfers of care are at their highest level since records began.
· The number of days lost to delayed discharge was this month in both the acute and non-acute sector was 196,246, up from 115,855 in September 2010.
· The number of patients waiting longer than 4 hours in hospital A&E departments has increased by nearly 350 per cent since 2010, with 182,593 patients waiting longer than four hours in September 2016
· The Government missed their target to respond to the most seriously ill patients (e.g. those suffering a cardiac arrest), with only 68.3 per cent of the most urgent calls being responded to in 8 minutes against a target of 75 per cent. This is the sixteenth month in a row in which the standard has not been met.
Source for all figures: NHS England, Combined Performance Summary for September 2016 - https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/combined-performance-summary/