Pressures Facing the NHS this Winter

You wrote to me earlier in the year about the pressures facing the NHS this winter.

I share your concern about the number of challenges facing the health service this year and have been in contact with local GPs and other practitioners, as well as the CEO of our local acute service and of the regional ambulance service.

Winter is always a difficult time of year for health services. This year is no exception with issues being accentuated by the flu epidemic.

As always the incredible professionalism of NHS staff at every level has seen us through – so far – the issues and in most parts of the country bed availability has been returning to normal levels. It was incredibly unfortunate that NHS England felt they had to postpone non-urgent operations last month. I understand that this emergency action was taken by the NHS National Emergency Pressures Panel, following sustained pressure on the NHS over Christmas. No urgent, or cancer-related operations were deferred, and it must be right for the panel to give patients proper notice of deferral, rather than cancelling operations with only a few hours' notice, as has happened in previous years. I am pleased that operations are now proceeding as normal.

The Government did work closely with the NHS to prepare for winter. Winter preparations began earlier than ever before: in the Spring Budget, the Chancellor pledged £100 million investment to support A&E departments throughout the country; and in December, the Government invested a further £337 million to support the NHS throughout the winter. This money has, amongst other achievements, helped the NHS open over 1,000 more acute hospital beds since the end of November, and install GP streaming services in 91 per cent of A&E departments. I have seen evidence of this investment locally.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.