NHS England reported on 3 February 2022 that more than 70,000 NHS staff were absent due to sickness each day on average in the week ending 30 January 2022, an increase of 11,868 a day compared with the start of December1. The figures come from the NHS weekly winter operational update for that week1.
Pressure on hospitals remained high, with 93.4% of adult general and acute beds occupied, up on the previous seven days1. There were 85,999 arrivals at A&E via ambulance in the week ending 30 January 2022, up on the previous week and the busiest week since the start of December1. The number of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside and were not discharged that day fell by 562 per day on average compared with the previous seven days1.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said staff were doing everything possible to get people home safely while delivering routine checks and procedures, and repeated the call for people to take up COVID vaccines and to use NHS services when needed1.
"We still had around 70,000 NHS staff off sick each day last week"
On access to care, the update states: "please go to 111 online and call 999 when it is a life threatening condition"1.
Why it matters for households
The figures describe the pressure facing NHS hospital services in England in the week ending 30 January 2022, at a point when staff sickness was well above the level at the start of December and adult general and acute beds were 93.4% occupied1. For households, that context is relevant to how they use urgent and emergency care: the NHS statement directs people with health problems to 111 online and reserves 999 calls for life threatening conditions1. The update also records that hundreds more beds were freed up each day compared with the week before, as staff worked to discharge patients who were medically fit to leave1. The health emergencies hub covers wider health incident guidance for households.
What happens next
The update was published on 3 February 2022 and last updated the same day1. No further operational figures beyond the week ending 30 January 2022 are given in it1.
