Perhaps the 10 year plan will say more. I hope so.

The government has already committed to recovering 18 weeks by the end of the parliament.

Getting UEC performance back to anywhere close to the 4 hour target will need a similarly bold, medium term ambition, backed with the necessary resources.

The plan is squarely focused on preparing for next winter, which is exactly what @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social promised...

...but not looking at the longer-term recovery of UEC services feels a missed opportunity, especially for a plan that took almost 6 months to produce.

Also good to see a renewed focus on improving flu vaccination coverage for 'at risk' groups and health care workers.

We highlighted the need to do this, along with tackling the growth in very long waits, in recent @healthfoundation.bsky.social analysis of winter pressures in 2024/25.

So #NHS definitely not out of woods yet - still under severe strain from D&V and flu.

But we continue to see some more positive signs too - fall in RSV, Covid-19 still low, easing of A&E diverts/ambulance delays, decreasing flu beds/circulation.

But cautious positives from last week continue - compared to earlier this winter:
🔻A&E diverts
🔻ambulance handover delays
🔻children in hospital with RSV

And Covid-19 remains very low, as it has been throughout.

Impact of vomiting bugs on hospitals has been consistently bad this winter.

Reached a new high last week - 1,310 beds closed due to D&V on 26 Jan, worst day in last 3 years.

That's pretty hideous when many hospitals are at/close to capacity, with adult G&A bed occupancy averaging nearly 96%.

UKHSA suggests community circulation is still medium, but decreasing - a welcome change from last week.

Flu continued to fall in w/c 20 Jan, down to an average of around 2,900 patients in G&A hospital beds per day - down from around 3,700 last week.

But decline was fairly slow, still hovering around last year's peak (NHSE data says slightly higher, UKHSA weekly report says slightly below).