The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 17 June 2026 to discuss urgent and emergency care and patient flow, and to review its work programme.

Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) and Patient Flow

The committee is set to receive an update on the urgent and emergency care (UEC) and patient flow across the health and care system in Worcestershire, covering the Winter 2025/26 period. This update will provide a high-level overview of the operational challenges and improvements experienced.

The report pack indicates that the Winter 2025/26 period presented significant operational pressures, including high bed occupancy levels and the use of Temporary Escalation Spaces (TES) at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. Industrial action by resident doctors also added strain. However, the report notes that key UEC performance measures are showing signs of improvement and becoming more sustainable.

A detailed Winter Plan was agreed by health and social care partners across Worcestershire in October 2025. This plan focused on several key priorities: reducing ambulance handover delays, improving Emergency Department (ED) waiting times and the Emergency Access Standard (EAS) performance, reducing corridor care, enhancing the response to frail and end-of-life patients, and optimising acute and community bed capacity. These priorities were supported by specific actions, such as further developing Worcestershire's Single Point of Access (SPoA) to divert patients from the ED, reconfiguring hospital assessment areas, increasing Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) capacity, and expanding virtual ward provision.

The report highlights that during winter, overall ED demand increased by 5% compared to the previous year, with January 2026 being particularly challenging. Ambulance activity also rose by 5%, largely due to the cessation of intelligent conveyancing. The system experienced increased pressure from seasonal flu and paediatric respiratory presentations.

To mitigate demand, the Worcestershire System invested in the SPoA, which is redirecting over 250 patients monthly to primary care with same-day appointments. There was also a 5% increase in patients utilising the SDEC pathway, providing specialised care to prevent unnecessary admissions. Nationally, there was an ambition to improve the Emergency Access Standard (EAS) performance to 78% by March 2026. The report indicates that EAS performance is currently at its highest levels for over four years and has moved from being the most challenged in the Midlands region to the fourth best.

Significant focus has been placed on reducing ambulance handover delays, with schemes like SPoA, Pit Stop, and Urgent Community Response (UCR) in place. The Worcestershire System committed to improving handover times, aiming for 90% of handovers to be completed within 45 minutes. The report details improvements delivered over the winter period, including a 20% reduction in paramedic lost hours, a 12% reduction in ambulance handover delays, and a 5-minute improvement in mean response time to Category 2 ambulance calls.

Work to improve hospital flow is ongoing through the urgent and emergency care reset programme, which includes workstreams on attendance/admission prevention, reducing length of stay, and early discharge. Initiatives such as the development of Acute Medical Assessment units, a pilot of Acute Surgical Assessment areas, and an increase in Hospital at Home spaces have contributed to improved processes.

Community health services, provided by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust (HWHCT), have played a central role in supporting patients at home. An improvement plan for Community Hospitals led to a reduction in average length of stay from 29 days to 24 days between September 2025 and March 2026. Targeted winter schemes, including investment in Pathway 1 services, significantly reduced waits for double-handed care. The Hospital at Home service expanded its capacity, supporting around 80 patients monthly. The Community SPoA received over 1,000 referrals per month, and the Urgent Community Response (UCR) service achieved a 90% two-hour response rate.

The report also touches upon the government's Neighbourhood Health Framework, published in February 2026, which aims to reorganise local services around the individual, focusing on prevention, proactive care, and integrated working.

The committee is asked to consider and comment on this update and determine if further information or scrutiny is required.

Work Programme

The committee will also review its work programme for 2026. This involves considering which issues should be investigated as a priority, in line with the council's rolling Annual Scrutiny Work Programme. The committee is responsible for scrutinising local NHS bodies and health services. The report pack outlines planned future meetings and potential items for scrutiny, including End of Life Care, Frailty and the implementation of the New Strategy, and updates on Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Redesign.

The committee will wish to retain the flexibility to consider any urgent issues that may arise.