This week, the government published a new blueprint to help recover urgent and emergency care services, reduce waiting times, and improve patient experience.
Frontline capacity will be boosted further thanks to 800 new ambulances, including 100 specialist mental health vehicles, and 5,000 more sustainable hospital beds backed by a £1 billion dedicated fund.
The two-year delivery plan for recovery comes amid record demand for NHS services, with the latest data showing more A&E attendances than ever before, growing numbers of the most serious ambulance call outs, and millions of NHS 111 calls a month over winter.
Richard Fuller MP said:
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.
We are 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, delivering on our elective recovery plan to bust the Covid backlogs, and hiring a record number of doctors and nurses.
This will deliver on the Prime Minister’s promise to prioritise the NHS 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.
The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan aims 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.
The full 2-year plan can be read here.
