Nuffield Trust comments on Combined Performance Summary and GP Patient Survey

Commenting on new NHS performance figures [1], Nuffield Trust Chief Economist Prof John Appleby said:

“July 2018 was the most pressured summer month for A&E departments in recent history, showing that there’s no doubt this summer’s heatwave has caused severe strain on the NHS. It is usual for A&E attendances to spike during the summer [2], but this year they were the highest since monthly reporting began in 2010 - a 4.9% increase compared to July 2017. At the same time, emergency admissions via A&E were up 7.3% since this time last year, and long trolley waits were also significantly higher than a year ago.

“Figures from today’s GP patient survey [3] serve as a reminder that these pressures are not isolated to A&E. One in three people who wanted to speak to a GP when their practice was closed say they went to A&E instead.

“What’s more, planned treatment waiting lists continue to grow relentlessly, now topping 4.3 million, and 3,500 people have been waiting more than a year. Meanwhile, more than a fifth of cancer patients are waiting over two months to start treatment - the highest since current records began.

“Despite the best efforts of NHS staff, the health service does not appear to be able to reverse the now well-established trend of declining performance against key waiting time targets.”