NHS tackles busiest three months on record as 7.4MILLION visit A&E and ‘only essential’ tips advised

HealthNews Health EFNXNF A busy hospital with doctors, nurses and staff busy at work in an accident and emergency ward in a British hospital Credit: Alamy THIS summer has been the busiest three months ever for the NHS with more than seven million people visiting A&E. Health chiefs said a “summer surge” on top of already sky-high demand saw three record months in a row in May, June and July. One source said: “It’s insanely busy – but waiting lists are down.” In July there were 2.49 million visits to casualty in England, more than any month ever. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! That adds to 2.44m in May and 2.46m in June. NHS England said hot and dry weather means people have spent more time outside so accidents have increased. And baking summer days trigger flare-ups for people with serious heart and lung conditions. Despite the demand, figures show waiting times have remained steady and the surgery backlog decreased from 7.28m to 7.27m in June. NHS medical director Professor Frankie Swords said: “The heat is making day-to-day working more challenging while also driving up pressure on services. “But staff are seeing more patients more quickly while bringing down the waiting list, despite record numbers of people being referred.” Most read in Health He reminded people to only use A&E when essential – with NHS 111 there for any issues that are not life-threatening. “While the NHS is busy, it is here for anyone who needs it, so please continue to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency and otherwise use NHS 111,” he said. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “Despite the record demand, more than three quarters of patients were seen within four hours in A&E, a record 2.65million diagnostic tests and checks were carried out in a single month, and the waiting list has fallen in the month of June for the first time since 2011. “But the figures also show how much of an additional burden is placed on the NHS during periods of extreme heat. “I have made clear that we must start planning for summer pressures in the NHS in the same way we do for winter.” TIMELINE OF THE NHS WAITING LIST THE NHS waiting list in England has become a political flashpoint as it has ballooned in recent years, more than doubling in a decade. The statistics for England count the number of procedures, such as operations and non-surgical treatments, that are due to patients. The procedures are known as elective treatment because they are planned and not emergencies. Many are routine ops such as for hip or knee replacements, cataracts or kidney stones, but the numbers also include some cancer treatments. This is how the wait list has changed over time: August 2007: 4.19million – The first entry in current records. December 2009: 2.32million – The smallest waiting list on modern record. April 2013: 2.75million – The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition restructures the NHS. Jeremy Hunt was Health Secretary. April 2016: 3.79million – Junior doctors go on strike for the first time in 40 years. Theresa May is elected Prime Minister. February 2020: 4.57million – The final month before the UK’s first Covid lockdown in March 2020. July 2021: 5.61million – The end of all legal Covid restrictions in the UK. January 2023: 7.21million – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledges to reduce waiting lists within a year, by April 2024. September 2023: 7.77million – The highest figure on record comes during a year hit with strikes by junior doctors, consultants, nurses and ambulance workers. February 2024: 7.54million – Ministers admit Rishi Sunak’s pledge to cut the backlog has failed. August 2024: 7.64million – List continues to rise under Keir Starmer’s new Labour Government. December 2024: 7.46million – The list has fallen for four consecutive months – a glimmer of hope. May 2025: 7.36m – The lowest for two years, since 7.33m in March 2023. October 2025: 7.4m – Increased in June, July, August and October. November 2025: 7.31m – A decline of 86,000 compared to October. February 2026: 7.22m – Continues to fall, now the lowest since February 2023. March 2026: 7.11m – now the lowest level since November 2022 April 2026: 7.22m – The first rise in six months May 2026: 7.28m – Rises by 60,153 meaning it is at its highest level since December 2025 Comment now