NHS announces plans to prepare for busy winter period

The NHS is upgrading its 24-hour live data centres to manage demand, strengthening same day emergency care and offering more falls services for older people, as part of actions set out today to prepare for this winter.

NHS chiefs have warned urgent and emergency care services are likely to come under “significant pressure” and many patients will face longer waits for care during the coldest months.

In a letter from NHS England today, systems have been asked to ensure all services work together to ensure patients are cared for in the safest possible place, and treated as quickly as possible.

This includes having front door assessments for patients to ensure they are signposted to the right place for their needs, including dedicated falls services for older people, as well as regular board and ward rounds throughout the day, and timely discharge for patients who are medically fit to leave hospital.

NHS trusts have also been asked to focus on patient safety and experience, maintaining consistent high standards of care, and only using temporary escalation spaces in periods of elevated pressure and always escalated to an appropriate member of their board.

Measures outlined today also include ensuring community care can be provided for those with complex needs, mental health issues or frail older people, avoiding the need for a hospital admission. This should include ensuring all areas of the country have mental health response vehicles available for use and on the road ahead of the winter months.

All hospitals now have a care transfer hub, which works across the NHS and social care to manage discharges for patients with more complex needs - with the number of discharges rising by around 5,000 (1.7%) in July 2024 compared to the same month last year.

And hospitals with major A&Es now deliver same day emergency care services, meaning that over 2.5 million patients a year are being cared for in one day, rather than needing to spend the night in hospital. 

Vaccination is a key part of NHS winter plans for this year, with the first ever campaign for RSV already underway alongside covid and flu jab rollouts for those most at risk of serious illness.

It is hoped this year's vaccination campaigns will help avoid a “tripledemic” of RSV, covid and flu colliding during an already busy time for frontline staff.

Each year, the NHS gathers extensive weekly data to track demand, capacity, and performance, which will be expanded this year to cover the number of mental health patients in acute hospital beds, along with community care and NHS 111.

While national leaders will step up oversight and support to trusts with clinical and operational experts being deployed directly into systems that are not meeting targets during the winter period.

Before winter, NHS England will be carrying out reviews of each of the 42 integrated care systems to support them to deliver the actions necessary to cut waiting times and improve patient safety and experience.

Sarah-Jane Marsh, National Director of Urgent and Emergency Care and Deputy Chief Operating Officer for NHS England, said:

“Winter is always a challenging time for the NHS and social care system - and despite extensive preparation our clinical and operational teams are braced for the expected surges in demand, alongside usual seasonal pressure.

“This plan is crucial in setting out the further action we must take to manage the needs of our population, while also working towards cutting waiting times at A&E and ensuring the privacy and dignity of those who have to wait the longest.”

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England's National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, said:

“Staff in urgent and emergency care have worked incredibly hard over the last year – sometimes in very challenging environments

“Patient safety is our number priority and will be the focus for providers this winter, which will include regularly reviewing and putting in place processes to minimise ambulance handover delays, waits over 12 hours in A&E, long discharge delays and busy emergency departments.

“Vaccines are a crucial in protecting people against the spread of viruses and reducing strain on the NHS, so I would urge everyone eligible to get their flu, COVID-19 and RSV jabs booked, and as ever people should come forward for care in the usual way – by dialling 999 in an emergency and otherwise using 111.”

Minister of State for Health (Secondary Care), Karin Smyth said:

“We've inherited an NHS that is broken but not beaten, and staff have been doing an excellent job in coping with record attendances at A&Es this summer. But we know winter presents even greater challenges, so we're wasting no time in readying the health and social care system for what's ahead.

“Services have been failed for too long and change cannot happen overnight, but we are working closely with trusts and local authorities across the country to start our preparations for the colder months as we continue our plans to build an NHS that is fit for the future.

“We have also made it a priority to reset relations with junior doctors – with the Health Secretary agreeing an offer the BMA would recommend to their members just over three weeks into the role. This is a fair offer which paves the way to ending the devastating strikes which wreaked havoc last winter and will put the NHS in a stronger position to cope with this year's winter pressures.

“But this government has been clear that we cannot continue to fix the annual winter crisis with sticking plasters. That is why we are working to radically reform the NHS through the 10 year plan and build a health service that is fit for the future all year round.”