Combined Performance Summary: June – July 2019

Our monthly round-up of the latest NHS performance data.

Qualitywatch

Latest data

Published: 08/08/2019

Today, NHS England published its Combined Performance Summary, which provides data on key performance measures for June and July of this year. Here we show some of these statistics and how they compare with previous years.

In March, the Clinically-Led Review of NHS Access Standards Interim Report was released, which proposed some significant changes to many of the targets reported on here.

For urgent and emergency care, field testing of the proposed new standards began in 14 hospital trusts on 22nd May. The first stage of testing has focused on measuring the “mean time in A&E”, when compared to the existing four hour target. The field test sites did not submit four hour performance data for May, June or July of this year, so the national time series omits these sites’ A&E performance. The time series data presented here excludes the field testing sites and so is comparable across months and years.

For interactive charts showing the quality of health and social care over time, please refer to our 200+ indicators.

A&E

  • In July 2019, 13.5% of people attending A&E spent more than 4 hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge – the worst performance for any July on record. There has been a sustained worsening of about 3 percentage points over the last four months compared to the same time last year.
  • The total number of A&E attendances exceeded 2.2 million in July 2019 – the highest number ever recorded. The average number of A&E attendances per day spiked at over 73,000.
  • For major A&E departments (type 1), there were over 1.4 million attendances in July 2019 – also the highest since records began. This equates to an average of over 45,000 type 1 A&E attendances per day – an increase of 3.7% compared to July 2018.
  • Emergency admissions via A&E have been increasing year-on-year, reaching over 415,000 in July 2019. The average number of emergency admissions via A&E per day reached 13,400, which is 4.7% higher than July last year. The increase could be related to the rise in same-day emergency care, where patients are treated and discharged on the same day as admission.
  • 57,694 patients spent more than 4 hours waiting on a trolley from decision to admit to admission in July 2019. This is 35% higher than July of last year. 436 patients had a trolley wait of over 12 hours, which is almost 3 times higher than July last year.
  • Trolley waits in April, May, June and July of this year were the highest they have been for these months since records began.
  • Only two out of 119 major A&E departments that submitted performance data met the four-hour A&E waiting time target in July 2019.

Per cent spending >4 hours in A&E, Monthly data,NHS EnglandPer cent spending >4 hours in A&E, Monthly data,NHS EnglandAverage Type 1 A&E attendances per day, Monthly data, NHS EnglandAverage emergency admissions via A&E per day, Monthly data, NHS EnglandTrolley waits: Patients spending >4 hours from decision to admit to admission, NHS EnglandTrolley waits: Patients spending >12 hours from decision to admit to admission, NHS England116 out of 119* major A&E departments (Type 1) missed the 4 hour target in June 2019

Treatment and diagnostic test waiting times

  • The total number of people waiting to start consultant-led elective treatment exceeded 4.5 million in June 2019 (reported waiting list plus the estimate of missing data).
  • The proportion of people waiting over 18 weeks to start elective treatment reached 13.7% in June 2019 – the highest level since January 2009.
  • In June 2019, 3.8% of patients had been waiting over 6 weeks for a diagnostic test. The diagnostic waiting time target has not been met since November 2013.

Patients waiting to start consultant-led elective treatment, NHS England

Delayed transfers of care

  • The total number of delayed transfer of care days decreased to 135,202 in June 2019, which is almost the same as it was in May 2015.

Cancer waiting times

  • In June 2019, over one in five patients (23.3%) waited longer than two months to start their first treatment for cancer following an urgent GP referral. This is 2.8 percentage points higher than in June last year, and 6 percentage points higher than it was three years ago.
  • The 62-day cancer target has not been met in three and a half years.

Per cent waiting >62 days from urgent GP referral to first treatment for cancer, NHS England

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