Gridlock as record number of ambulances queue at A&E

The grade of the gridlock successful hospitals implicit Christmas has been revealed with caller NHS information showing a grounds fig of ambulances were delayed dropping disconnected patients astatine A&E successful England.

More than 40% of crews were forced to hold much than half-an-hour to manus implicit their patients to infirmary unit successful the week up to New Year's Day.

That is the highest connected record.

But determination is anticipation pressures could soon commencement easing, with flu and Covid admissions dropping past week.

Both had been rising sharply successful erstwhile weeks, with 1 successful 7 beds occupied by patients with these infections by the commencement of the year.

The complaint of flu admissions fell the most, dropping by much than 40%.

But the UK Health Security Agency is informing it is excessively aboriginal to accidental whether the flu play - the worst successful a decennary - has peaked arsenic reporting lags implicit the festive play whitethorn person had an interaction connected the data.

The precocious levels of flu coupled with rising rates of Covid are thought to beryllium 1 of the factors successful the precocious fig of deaths being reported.

In the pb up to Christmas, deaths were a 5th higher than normal, information from the Office for National Statistics shows.

NHS nationalist aesculapian manager Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: "We knew this wintertime would beryllium 1 of the astir hard successful the past of the NHS and I privation to convey unit for each their hard enactment successful caring for and treating truthful galore patients portion dealing with grounds request connected services, including the tremendous unit from flu and Covid."