NHS services reported measurable improvements managing winter demand even as activity remained high.
Ambulance handovers to A&Es reached 94,551 last week — higher than the busiest week last year (94,493 w/e 29 December 2024), almost 1,000 more than the week before and over 3,250 more than the same week last year. Despite the increased volume, the average ambulance handover time fell to 34:32 last week, almost three minutes faster than the previous week (37:22) and an improvement on the same time last year (35:04). NHS leaders attribute part of this progress to measures in the urgent and emergency care plan published eight months ago, which focuses on keeping more ambulances on the road and improving patient flow through hospitals.
Winter viruses continue to add pressure. Norovirus (the winter vomiting bug) has increased sharply: there were on average more than 1,100 adult beds closed or occupied each day last week because of norovirus, and an average of 950 patients in hospital with the infection each day — 127 more than the week before and approaching last year’s February peak (961 w/e 2 February 2025).
NHS 111 answered 360,286 calls last week, almost 5,000 more than the same week last year (355,452 w/e 26 January 2025). Flu rates have fallen since last month’s peak, but an average of 1,987 patients were in hospital with flu each day last week, and an average of 647 patients were in hospital with COVID-19 per day.
Vaccination efforts are supporting the response. Since the autumn/winter campaign began, 18.8 million flu vaccines have been delivered — around half a million more than at the same point last year. So far this season 4.7 million COVID-19 vaccinations and 2.5 million RSV vaccinations have been given, including nearly 485,000 doses to pregnant women to help protect newborns from respiratory viruses.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Meghana Pandit said hospitals remain under sustained pressure from viruses and other demands, but that staff have worked hard to tackle winter and that recent improvements in ambulance handover times and lower flu hospital numbers are encouraging. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted additional support including £450 million for urgent and emergency care, 500 new ambulances on the road, and millions of vaccinations delivered this winter.
Public health advice and practical measures remain important. UKHSA Lead Epidemiologist Amy Douglas warned that norovirus activity has been high, particularly among people aged 65 and over and increasingly in children under five, and that outbreaks in hospitals have risen. Key steps to reduce spread include:
– Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water (alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus).
– Use bleach-based products to clean contaminated surfaces.
– Stay away from work, school, nursery and visiting hospitals or care homes until at least 48 hours after symptoms stop; do not prepare food for others during that time.
The weekly urgent and emergency care situation reports are published by NHS England and provide the full datasets and breakdowns: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/uec-sitrep/urgent-and-emergency-care-daily-situation-reports-2025-26/.
