News / English NHS misses performance targets

The latest figures from NHS England – covering the month of April this year – showed the service failed to achieve many of its operational performance targets as activity continued to rise.

Delayed transfers of care appeared to be an increasing problem, with just over 5,900 patients delayed – the highest number since the data was first collected in August 2010. There were 167,677 delayed days in April, compared with 138,030 in April 2015

Though A&E attendance, at over 1.8 million, was 0.6% lower than the previous April, the long-term trend showed a 2.3% increase in the last 12 months, compared with the previous year. NHS England said 90% of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours – the standard is 95%.

There were almost 460,000 emergency admissions in April – 2.2% more than in April 2015. Emergency admissions in the last 12 months were 3% higher than in the previous 12-month period.

While six of the eight cancer standards were met, the NHS missed the 85% standard for 62-day cancer waiting times (82.8% achieved) and the 93% target for two-week referrals for patients with breast cancer symptoms (where cancer was not initially suspected). In the latter case, 91.6% of patients were seen by a consultant within 14 days.

Mr Appleby (pictured) said: ‘[The] figures show the NHS struggling to meet many of its key performance targets in the face of rising demand and huge financial pressures. At a time of year when we should be seeing performance figures starting to fall back in line with targets, instead we see a worrying picture of the extreme pressure hospitals are under.’

He highlighted the ‘sharp rise of 25%’ in the number of people waiting to be discharged from hospital. ‘While this reflects a significant increase in the number of patients waiting for social care support, the majority of delays are caused by NHS related problems. As the National Audit Office reported last week delayed discharges are costing the NHS in excess of £800m a year but more importantly impose a significant human cost on patients and their families.’

Earlier this week, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens told the Commons Public Accounts committee that delayed discharges could continue for five years.

Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said: ‘These results paint a picture of a health service struggling to manage with record numbers of patients needing treatment at a time of unprecedented financial constraint.

‘We’re caught in a relentless cycle of record high A&E attendances, increasing emergency admissions and greater numbers of patients who cannot be discharged because the services they need in the community have not been properly resourced. The lack of investment in social care is taking its toll.’

The NHS faced a major challenge to tackle the performance figures. ‘While some pretend that this is a result of poor NHS leadership, too many organisations are being affected for this to be the case. The problems are the result of demands being placed on NHS organisations that are impossible to deliver with the money available,’ she added.