In the latest healthcare update, the NHS faced its busiest winter week with over 93,500 ambulance arrivals. Despite the surge, improvements were seen in ambulance handover delays and NHS 111 call response times. Hospitalisations due to seasonal viruses increased, including a rise in flu and COVID-19 cases.
NHS planning efforts led to a 56% reduction in handover delay hours. Ongoing junior doctor strikes impacted routine care, with over 1.2 million appointments rescheduled. The challenging start emphasises strain on NHS, urging public vaccination and judicious emergency service use. Staff absences, while improved, remain a concern amid demanding circumstances.