NHS warned to expect tougher winter after record-busy summer

The NHS in England is bracing for a more challenging winter after a record-busy summer, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned, as the government announced £140m for urgent care services.

The funding will support 14 schemes, including new urgent care centres, ambulance fleets and emergency department upgrades. Cooper said early investment was intended to help patients get care during winter pressures, including seasonal illnesses such as flu and norovirus. [1]

Nearly 7.3 million people attended A&E in England between June and August, the highest total recorded for a summer period, according to NHS data. The King’s Fund thinktank has warned that the service faces a “twin crisis” this winter, with little time for staff and services to recover between busy periods.

NHS leaders are urging eligible people to get vaccinated against flu. Medical director Prof Frankie Swords said earlier this month that more patients than usual for this time of year were attending A&E with flu and other respiratory viruses, and that people were waiting longer than the NHS would like. [1]

The announcement drew criticism over both the funding and the state of the workforce. Shadow health secretary Damian Hinds said the government should explain where the money was coming from. The Royal College of Nursing in England welcomed the funding in the short term but called it “just another sticking plaster”, saying the nursing workforce was already short-staffed and “running on empty”.

The warning comes as the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England rose for a second month. At the end of August, an estimated 7.37 million treatments were waiting to be carried out, relating to 6.24 million patients. The figures were the highest since October 2025 and have raised questions about whether the NHS will meet the government’s target of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks by 2029. [1]