NHS England reported on 3 February 2022 that 85,999 patients arrived at A&E by ambulance in the week ending 30 January 2022. The figure was up on the previous week and made it the busiest week for ambulance arrivals since the start of December1.
The weekly winter operational update also reported that more than 70,000 NHS staff were absent due to sickness each day last week on average, up 11,868 a day compared to the start of December1. Pressure on beds remained high, with 93.4% of adult general and acute beds occupied last week, up on the previous seven days1. The number of patients who no longer met the criteria to reside and were not discharged that day fell, down 562 per day on average compared to the previous seven days1.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said:
"We still had around 70,000 NHS staff off sick each day last week, as the number of ambulances taking patients to A&E was up again on the previous seven days, making it the busiest week since the start of December."
He said staff were "doing everything possible to get people home to their loved ones and out of hospital safely, as hundreds more beds were freed up each day compared to the week before", while delivering as many routine checks and procedures as possible1. He also said it remained as important as ever for people to get their lifesaving COVID vaccines if they had not done so already, and that the NHS was there for anyone with a health problem1.
| Measure, week ending 30 January 2022 | Figure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Arrivals at A&E via ambulance | 85,999 | Up on the previous week; busiest since start of December |
| Staff absent due to sickness, daily average | More than 70,000 | Up 11,868 a day compared with the start of December |
| Adult general and acute beds occupied | 93.4% | Up on the previous seven days |
| Patients no longer meeting criteria to reside but not discharged, daily average | Not given | Down 562 per day on average on the previous seven days |
Why it matters for households
The figures describe pressure on urgent and emergency care in England in the last week of January 2022, at a time when around 70,000 NHS staff a day were off sick and more than nine in ten adult general and acute beds were occupied1. For households, that means ambulance arrivals at A&E were at their highest since early December and hospital capacity was stretched1.
Professor Powis set out where the NHS wanted people to go for help. He said the NHS is there for anyone with a health problem, and asked people to "please go to 111 online and call 999 when it is a life threatening condition"1. The update does not give waiting times for ambulance response or for treatment in A&E, and these have not been reported here.
What happens next
NHS England published the update on 3 February 2022 and gave no further dates in it1. No later weekly winter operational update figures are included in the material available, so any change in ambulance arrivals, staff sickness or bed occupancy after the week ending 30 January 2022 has not been reported here. Households looking for general background on health emergencies can read the guide to health emergencies.
