NHS activity and performance summary: January and February 2019

Summary

Average daily A&E attendances increased in February, the highest attendances of any February on record. The percentage of patients spending less than 4 hours in A&E increased and the number of patients spending more than 12 hours in A&E decreased.

The average number of daily calls to the ambulance service decreased in February. The percentage of red calls receiving an emergency response within 8 minutes met the target and was slightly higher than January.

The number of patients waiting longer than the target time for diagnostic tests increased in January but decreased for therapy services to the lowest it has been since June 2011. The percentage of patients waiting less than 26 weeks from referral to the start of treatment increased compared to December, but the number of patients waiting longer than 36 weeks increased. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) performance improved.

The percentage of patients starting treatment within target time for cancer increased for patients not on the urgent suspected cancer pathway but decreased for those on the urgent suspected pathway.

The number of delayed transfers of care increased and the remaining targets for scheduled and unscheduled care were missed.

Average A&E waiting times decreased in February and average emergency call responses for ambulances were quicker than the previous month. The latest average waiting times for referral to treatment increased but waiting times for diagnostic tests and therapy services decreased in January.