Just 77.3% of patients were seen within 4 hours at regular A&E departments in December 2017, the lowest level since records began, NHS statistics today have revealed.

The Liberal Democrats warned the government would be left “with blood in its hands” unless it acted to address record pressures facing the NHS.

Separate winter pressure figures showed 5,082 patients faced delays in ambulances of one hour or more in the week to 7th January, the worst figures of the winter so far. In total over 22,000 patients have faced delays of one hour or more in the back of ambulances so far this winter.

Liberal Democrat former Health Minister Norman Lamb commented:

“The NHS is facing record levels of pressure – meaning every day patients are dying and experiencing dreadful failures of care.

“Yet all the government does is offer inadequate sums of money which barely keep our health service going.

“Theresa May cannot ignore this crisis any longer. Ministers have a choice: agree to work with others to deliver a proper, sustainable settlement for the NHS or be left with blood on their hands.

“Liberal Democrats have a clear plan to give the NHS the emergency cash injection it needs, by putting a penny on income tax to raise £6bn a year.

“We stand ready to work with other parties to find a long-term solution to rescue the NHS.”

Notes

77.3% of patients were seen within 4 hours in type 1 A&E departments, compared to 83.0% in November 2017 and 79.3% for the same month last year. This is the lowest type 1 performance since this collection began (link).

Type 1 departments are what most people might traditionally think of as an A&E service. They are major emergency departments that provide a consultant-led 24-hour service with full facilities for resuscitating patients, Type 2 departments are consultant-led facilities but for single specialties, for example, dedicated to treating only eye conditions or only dental problems. Type 3 departments treat minor injuries and illnesses, and include minor injury units and walk-in centres (link).

The latest winter pressure figures for the 1st to 7th January can be found here