Leading busiest hospitals in England 2022/23, by number of admissions
Accident and emergency admissions
From April to June 2023, there were around 6.5 million accident and emergency (A&E) attendees (including at A&E departments not in hospitals) in England. After the drop in A&E attendances during the COVID-pandemic, numbers have risen again to previous levels, with a trend towards an increasing number of individuals seeking emergency care. Over three percent of A&E attendees in England in 2022/23 were first diagnosed with a sprained ankle, knee, wrist, or foot, and over four percent were diagnosed with a respiratory infection. Furthermore, 7.4 percent were found to have ‘no abnormality detected’ which could be detrimental to a service that is already stretched.
Waiting too long
Over the last few years in the A&E department, the NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. The last time this target was reached was back in July 2015. Not just the A&E department, but other services also require lengthy waits. It is no wonder that the majority of respondents surveyed were fairly or very dissatisfied with the length of wait for many aspects of NHS care. Moreover, in general, levels of satisfaction with the way NHS runs is at an all time low.