NHS staff working flat out in tough conditions

Responding to the latest winter performance figures from NHS England, Nick Ville, director of membership and policy at the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said:

“As predicted by health leaders, we are facing record levels of demand, demonstrated in particular by further rises in long-stay bed occupancy.

“In the past few days, we’ve seen stories of nurses being redeployed to care for patients in corridors and concerns expressed about patient safety.

“In spite of all that, the NHS and its staff remain a bulwark and have demonstrated their resilience time and again. However, that resilience is not limitless. Alongside more staff, we must see more support for social care, primary care and community services to ease the strain on A&E departments, keep people out of hospital and make sure we are able to provide safe and appropriate care.”

Full weekly data tables from NHS England: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/winter-daily-sitreps/winter-daily-sitrep-2019-20-data/

Key weekly figures, looking at 6-12 January 2020, compared with the same week last year:

A&E Closures – same
2019 – 0
2020 – 0

A&E Diverts – decrease of 2
2019 – 38
2020 – 36

G&A bed occupancy rate – increase of 0.4%
2019 – 94.7%
2020 – 95.1%

Long-stay bed occupancy rate – increase of 17,956 days (>7 days), 14,633 days (>14 days), 7,545 days (>21 days)
2019
>7 – 295,334
>14 – 171,487
>21 – 112,064

2020
>7 – 313,290
>14 – 186,120
>21 – 119,609

Beds closed due to D&V or norovirus – increase of 1,312
2019 – 4,318
2020 – 5,630

Adult Critical Care bed occupancy rate – decrease of 0.7%
2019 – 85.2%
2020 – 84.5%

Paediatric intensive care unit bed occupancy rate – increase of 1.0%
2019 – 79.1%
2020 – 80.0%

Neonatal intensive care unit bed occupancy rate – decrease of 0.1%
2019 – 70.5%
2020 – 70.4%

Ambulance arrivals & delays – 3,013 fewer attendances, 1,896 more delays of 30-60, 1,430 more delays of >60
2019
Arriving – 98,751
30-60 – 9,557
60> - 2,769

2020
Arriving – 95,738
30-60 – 11,453
60> - 4,199