The Royal College of Physicians has responded to the latest NHS performance data.

Responding to the latest NHSE performance data, Dr John Dean, clinical vice president of the Royal College of Physicians, said:   

“Each month's performance statistics show a health service under extreme demand, and the latest data release is no different. With the waiting list growing in August to 7.6 million, and delays in discharging patients increasing in September, the NHS is in an extremely concerning position as we head into winter.    

“Last month there were 2.2 million attendances at our emergency departments – the highest for a September on record. Over 38 thousand people waited longer than 12 hours in the emergency department after the decision to admit them, compared to just 458 people experiencing this wait in September 2019.   

“We continue to hear from patients and NHS staff that providing care in corridors is becoming more frequent given the high levels of demand in urgent and emergency care and worsening discharge delays. This is unacceptable for patients and staff and action must be taken. This is why the Royal College of Physicians is calling on the NHS to record and publish the number of patients receiving care in temporary care environments like corridors. NHS leaders have stated that there is little possibility of increasing hospital capacity without additional funding. The government must take action and being open and honest by understanding the scale of this issue is a critical step.”