April by far the worst on record for the NHS and patients will want to know when the end is in sight

Commenting on the latest Combined Performance figures for the NHS in England, Professor John Appleby, Chief Economist of the Nuffield Trust said:

“Today’s figures show that this April was by far the worst on record for the NHS, just when we would expect performance to start improving. It must feel like a never ending winter for overstretched staff.

“15% of people attending A&E spent more than 4 hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge – that is the highest April figure on record. The pressure behind this is reflected in an astonishing 7% increase in major A&E department attendances per day compared to April last year. Nearly 67,000 patients spent over 4 hours waiting on a trolley from a decision to admit to admission in April 2019, almost 40% higher than the same time last year.  

“Trusts couldn’t be starting from a worse position as new proposed A&E targets start to be piloted this month. Patients will want to know when the end is in sight – currently that seems like a long way away.”