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| Ambulance waits down by nearly an hour in a month | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Ambulance crews reached emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes one hour quicker in January than December in England, figures show. | Ambulance crews reached emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes one hour quicker in January than December in England, figures show. |
| They took 32 minutes on average, compared with more than 90 the month before. | |
| The target is 18 minutes but January's average was the quickest for 19 months. | The target is 18 minutes but January's average was the quickest for 19 months. |
| A&E waiting times also improved, with just over a quarter of patients waiting longer than four hours - down from more than a third in December. | |
| Flu and Covid hospital admission rates have started falling since the new year. | Flu and Covid hospital admission rates have started falling since the new year. |
| 'My dying husband could not get an ambulance' | 'My dying husband could not get an ambulance' |
| The NHS crisis - decades in the making | The NHS crisis - decades in the making |
| But Society for Acute Medicine president Dr Tim Cooksley said wait times remained "intolerable". | But Society for Acute Medicine president Dr Tim Cooksley said wait times remained "intolerable". |
| And he highlighted the waits the sickest and most frail were facing for a bed on a ward. | And he highlighted the waits the sickest and most frail were facing for a bed on a ward. |
| Nearly four out of every 10 patients waited over four hours on trolleys and in corridors. | Nearly four out of every 10 patients waited over four hours on trolleys and in corridors. |
| "The fundamental problem remains a significant shortage of workforce, leading to woefully inadequate inpatient bed and social-care capacity," Dr Cooksley added. | "The fundamental problem remains a significant shortage of workforce, leading to woefully inadequate inpatient bed and social-care capacity," Dr Cooksley added. |
| Strike action | Strike action |
| NHS England national medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis said the improved waiting times were pleasing. | NHS England national medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis said the improved waiting times were pleasing. |
| He praised staff for working "flat out" during winter but warned continuing strike action would "inevitably" slow the progress on waits for planned hospital care such as knee and hip replacements. | He praised staff for working "flat out" during winter but warned continuing strike action would "inevitably" slow the progress on waits for planned hospital care such as knee and hip replacements. |
| The figures showed the waiting list rose slightly, to 7.2 million, by the end of December, with the number of 18-month waiters increasing by 12%, to nearly 56,000. | The figures showed the waiting list rose slightly, to 7.2 million, by the end of December, with the number of 18-month waiters increasing by 12%, to nearly 56,000. |
| Tens of thousands of planned hospital operations and appointments have been cancelled because of strike action. | Tens of thousands of planned hospital operations and appointments have been cancelled because of strike action. |
| Walkouts by ambulance staff and nurses this week led to more than 40,000 bookings being rescheduled. | Walkouts by ambulance staff and nurses this week led to more than 40,000 bookings being rescheduled. |
| Since industrial action began, in December, more than 100,000 patients have been affected. | Since industrial action began, in December, more than 100,000 patients have been affected. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| NHS | NHS |
| Strike action | Strike action |