Opposition Day Debate on A&E services
This page contains background information for the Opposition Day Debate on A&E services scheduled for Wednesday 24 June 2015.
Summary
In the quarter ending March 2015, Accident & Emergency departments in England recorded the highest percentage of patients spending over 4 hours in A&E for a decade. The number of patients waiting over 4 hours for admission to hospital also reached a new high. Total attendance was lower than the equivalent quarter in 2014, but the number of emergency admissions was slightly higher. The number of long waits for admission in the quarter ending March 2015 was more than double that of a year ago.
Last year the UK Government announced £700 million of additional funding to help the NHS in England deal with winter pressures, and to support emergency departments in particular:
Department of Health press release on additional Winter pressure funding, January 2015
NHS England, Winter NHS services – where the extra funding is going, 6 January 2015
Library briefings
NHS Indicators: England, May 2015
A summary of statistical indicators for NHS England including accident and emergency attendance and performance. Section 2 of the briefing notes that in the quarter ending March 2015, Accident & Emergency departments recorded the highest percentage of patients spending over 4 hours in A&E for a decade. The number of patients waiting over 4 hours for admission to hospital also reached a new high.
NHS Winter Pressures 2014/15 - Weekly Update
During the winter months, NHS England publishes daily situation reports on winter pressures facing acute hospital trusts. These cover pressures such as accident and emergency diverts, ambulances queueing, bed days lost to norovirus closures, delayed transfers of care, cancelled operations, and trolley waits. This note summarises figures for 2014/15 (up to 22nd March) and compares them with the equivalent periods in 2013/14 and 2012/13. Data for individual hospital trusts or areas is available on the NHS statistical website and can be compiled or analysed by the Library on request.
Accident and Emergency Care in the UK: Statistics
What statistics are available on Accident & Emergency facilities in the UK, and what do they show? This note provides summaries and visualisations of a wide range of NHS A&E trends, including: levels of attendance over time; attendance by age, time and day of the week; various measures of waiting times; reason for attendance; and unplanned re-attendance. It also explores the extent and limitations of the available data sources.
Parliamentary material Statements
Urgent question on the major incidents that have been declared at a number of hospitals and on A and E performance in England.
07 Jan 2015 | Urgent questions | House of Commons | 590 cc272-295
A and E and Ambulance Services
Urgent question on the performance of accident and emergency departments and ambulance services, and what plans are in place to help them cope with winter pressures.
18 Dec 2014 | Urgent questions | House of Commons | 589 cc1552-1566
Statement on the future of the NHS.
01 Dec 2014 | Ministerial statements | House of Commons | 589 cc47-67
Debates
Fifteenth opposition day debate (part one). Main question negatived on division (228 to 298).
28 Jan 2015 | Opposition days | House of Commons | 591
Fourteenth opposition day debate. Closure motion. Agreed to on question. Main question negatived on division (228 to 312).
21 Jan 2015 | Opposition days | House of Commons | 591 cc234-333
NHS: Accident and Emergency Services
Lords question for short debate on what is their assessment of the pressures facing accident and emergency services.
15 Jan 2015 | Questions for short debate | House of Lords | 758 cc934-946
Sixth Opposition Day debate (part two) on a motion on Access to NHS Services. Negatived on division (222 votes to 300).
15 Oct 2014 | Opposition days | House of Commons | 586
Further reading
King’s Fund, How is the NHS performing? Quarterly Monitoring Report, April 2015
King’s Fund, What’s going on in A&E? The key questions answered, January 2015