Busiest year on record for NHS emergency services

The NHS experienced its busiest ever year for urgent and emergency care in 2024.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said the last year had been relentless for staff, and likened the pressure of the current winter season to the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

New data has shown that December 2024 was the busiest month on record for the ambulance service, with crews managing an unprecedented number of call-outs. 

More than 800,000 incidents were responded to during December, which helped bring the year-end total to around 8.9 million, which is up on the 8.35 million recorded in 2023.

Emergency departments were also hit by record demand in 2024, with 27.4 million attendances happening throughout the entire year.

Despite the influx, NHS staff managed to admit, transfer or discharge more emergency patients within four hours than ever before.

In December 2024, 71 per cent of all patients were seen within four hours, which was better than what was happening at the same time the previous year, when performance peaked at 69 per cent. 

Professor Powis said: “As the incredibly busy winter continues, and hospitals clearly experience intense pressure, please do continue to only use 999 and A&E for life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 and 111 online for other conditions, as well as using local GPs and pharmacy services in the usual way.”