NHS England said on 12 August 2022 that official figures published the day before showed 85,397 category 1 ambulance callouts in July 2022, the highest number since records began1. Category 1 callouts cover the most serious incidents. The figure was almost two thirds higher than in July 2020, when there were 51,771, and 23,610 higher than in July 2019, a third higher than before the pandemic1.
The same announcement set out measures to increase capacity ahead of winter, including the equivalent of 7,000 more beds through new hospital beds, virtual ward spaces and initiatives to improve patient flow1. NHS England said it would recruit more call handlers so that at least 4,800 staff work in 111 and 2,500 in 999 call rooms, with a live 999 call answer dashboard and a target to answer calls in an average of 10 seconds1. An extra £10 million was announced for mental health services over the winter, and mental health professionals were to be deployed in 999 call centres1.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said:
"Staff are already under pressure with continued high demand for our services, with figures showing the busiest summer ever for NHS emergency departments, with 2.18 million A&E attendances and almost 900,000 999 calls answered in June, and in July the highest number of category 1 ambulance callouts since records began".
The announcement also said that only 40% of patients were able to leave hospital when they were ready to in July, and that the NHS would work more closely with social care services to support timely discharge1. It said over 8,300 patients with COVID-19 were in hospital at the time, and that planning was under way for an autumn COVID-19 booster programme and the annual flu campaign1. NHS England said it had virtually eliminated two-year waits for elective care before the end of July, the first milestone in the NHS Elective Recovery Plan1.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Category 1 ambulance callouts, July 2022 | 85,397 |
| Category 1 callouts, July 2020 | 51,771 |
| Category 1 callouts, July 2019 | 23,610 fewer than July 2022 |
| Additional bed equivalent | 7,000 |
| 111 call room staff target | at least 4,800 |
| 999 call room staff target | 2,500 |
| Target average 999 call answer time | 10 seconds |
| Patients able to leave hospital when ready, July | 40% |
Why it matters for households
The figures describe pressure on the ambulance service in England during July 2022, the month of the heatwave, and the measures announced apply to England ahead of the winter period1. Professor Powis said it was vital that the public continues to use NHS services in the usual way, including using 999 in an emergency and NHS 111 online for other health issues, and that people book their COVID and flu vaccines when eligible1. The announcement gives no regional breakdown of the callout figures and does not report how the heatwave affected demand; those details have not been reported in the material published with the figures1.
What happens next
The measures were set out on 12 August 2022, with recruitment of call handlers, the additional bed equivalent and the winter mental health funding to follow ahead of the winter period1. The autumn COVID-19 booster programme and annual flu campaign were described as in planning at that date1. NHS England said efforts were focusing on people waiting more than two months after an urgent referral for suspected cancer or 18 months for routine care1. The page carrying the announcement was last updated on 30 September 20221. Households can follow official public information through the staying informed hub.
