The latest performance figures published by NHS England reveal the impact that the successive heatwaves are having on the NHS. A&E demand hit a record high in July with 2.5 million attendances. The three busiest months for A&E ever were recorded from May to July.
The NHS normally experiences spikes in demand during the summer months, as the public spends more time outside which can lead to a rise in accidents. But this summer has seen unprecedented pressure, with the heat contributing to an increase in admissions caused by more outdoor activity and respiratory issues linked to dry weather, as well as worsening of underlying medical conditions.
In spite of this pressure on services, the statistics show positive performance, including numbers of patients seen, the 18-week target for planned care, ambulance team performance, waiting lists and diagnostics. Matthew Hopkins, Director of the acute and ambulance network at the NHS Alliance, describes the response as “truly impressive.”
Stepping up
During July, more patients were seen, treated or discharged within four hours than in June, with performance improving to 75.4%. The NHS also delivered its best performance against the 18-week target for planned care for nearly five years, with 65.8% of patients waiting within 18 weeks for treatment in June – the best performance since September 2021.
Ambulance teams handled 829,675 incidents in July – the fourth-highest total on record and the second-highest outside winter – while 999 calls answered rose 6.5% on last July to 898,503. Category 2 ambulance response times also improved by two minutes and 42 seconds since last month, dropping below half an hour despite the exceptional pressure.
The waiting list fell to 7.27 million, despite a record number of patients being referred for treatment that month.
The improvement comes as the NHS ramps up efforts to get patients diagnosed and treated more quickly, carrying out more than 2.65 million diagnostic tests and checks in June – the highest number on record.
Impact on staff
NHS England says a range of measures have been taken to make conditions more comfortable for staff working in blistering temperatures. Even so, many are working in outdated buildings that are ill-prepared to cope with such conditions.
Professor Frankie Swords, NHS National Medical Director, says: “Like many members of the public, NHS staff are enjoying the lovely weather outside of work, but the heat is making day-to-day working more challenging while also driving up pressure on services.
“But staff are as ever demonstrating outstanding professionalism, flexibility and hard work in the face of this summer surge – seeing more patients, more quickly, while bringing down the waiting list despite record numbers of people being referred for treatment.”
“I want to thank NHS staff for their extraordinary efforts over this hugely challenging summer,” says Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper. “But today’s figures also show how much of an additional burden is placed on the NHS during periods of extreme heat, and I have made clear that we must start planning for summer pressures in the NHS in the same way we do for winter.”
