NHS Confederation responds to bed availability and occupancy data

Responding to NHS England's latest data on bed availability and occupancy during the first quarter of 2022-23, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“The latest data on NHS bed occupancy show just how high demand has been. Between April and June the average percentage of beds occupied across the health service in England stood at over 87 per cent – higher than the average for any other quarter since the onset of the Covid pandemic. 

“Extreme surges in demand during this period have also meant that at certain points hospitals have been running so hot with demand that bed occupancy has been close to 100 per cent.

“NHS leaders are warning that huge and growing demand and treatment backlogs mean it already feels like winter in summer in the health service ahead of what is predicted to be a very difficult winter.

“We welcomed the package of winter measures recently set out by NHS England and we look forward to further detail, especially with regard to allocations of additional funding.

“It is also vital that the Government provides the NHS with the capital investment it desperately needs and a fully resourced workforce plan that resolves chronic staff shortages across health and social care.”