28 April 2025
Analysis of the pressures faced by the Urgent and Emergency Care system this past winter reveal in stark detail where the issues lie and provide clear indicators of what the DHSC must do to address them.
That’s the assessment of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) to new research published today (28 April 2025) by the Health Foundation which looks in detail at the performance and pressures experienced by England’s A&Es during winter 2024/25.
The report – Did the NHS experience record pressures this winter? – examined a range of publicly available data sets and reinforces RCEM’s own analysis highlighting issues such as a lack of in-patient beds leading to issues admitting people from A&E, dangerously high levels of hospital occupancy, delays in discharging people, and the effect of seasonal illnesses.
It also makes it clear that pressures in Emergency Departments are not caused by higher numbers of people attending – as the number of people visiting A&E last winter actually decreased slightly.
In addition, the research concludes that the current political focus on reducing elective waiting times is having a negative impact on ED waits and the two issues must be addressed in tandem.
Responding to the report RCEM President, Dr Adrian Boyle, said: “This is a detailed, thorough and evidenced-based piece of analysis by the Health Foundation, and we thank them for their work in compiling it.
“As we – and they – say winter may be inevitable, but an annual NHS crisis does not have to be. The pinch points and areas for improvement are clear and well documented. And they are fixable with the right impetus and political focus.
“The DHSC has a clear roadmap for recovery and in the publication of the UEC Delivery Plan and the NHS 10 Year plan, they have the ideal and unmissable opportunity to implement the changes that are so desperately needed by our members, their colleagues and their patients.
“It is not all about reducing the number of people who come to A&Es, it is about how we are able to improve the process of getting them seen, treated or admitted – and getting this working must be a political priority in addition to reducing elective waiting times.
“We know what needs to be done. Let’s get on with doing it.”
