Date published: 8 May 2026
Health and care providers across the North East and North Cumbria supported record numbers of patients this winter while continuing to improve performance in some of the most pressured parts of the system.
March was the busiest month ever recorded for accident and emergency attendances in England, and services across the region also experienced unprecedented demand, with more than 154,000 people treated in A&E. Despite this, performance against the NHS four‑hour standard improved, reaching 80% for only the second time since the pandemic.
Winter pressures were felt across the whole urgent and emergency care system. Between October and March, the region saw increases in NHS 111 contacts, 999 calls and ambulance arrivals at hospital compared with the previous year. However, category two ambulance response times improved by almost five minutes, and average ambulance handover delays reduced by 18%, with thousands fewer ambulances waiting more than 45 minutes to hand patients over to emergency department teams.
Providers across hospital, community, mental health, primary care and ambulance services worked together to manage demand and reduce delays. This included investment in Acute Respiratory Infection Hubs, expanded mental health crisis support, improved system coordination, and increased “step down” services to help patients leave hospital once they were medically fit.
Ken Bremner MBE, Chair of the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative, said:
“This winter demonstrated what our NHS can achieve when organisations work together as a single system.
"Despite unprecedented demand, teams across hospitals, community services, mental health, primary care and the ambulance service supported record numbers of people and continued to improve performance.
"I want to thank staff across the region for their resilience, professionalism and commitment to patients, and for the collaborative approach that is helping us deliver safer, more timely care.”
Dr Neil O’Brien, local GP and Chief Medical Officer at North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, commented:
“I’d like to say a big thank you to all NHS staff for their careful planning, dedication and hard work, and to our patients who have helped us by using 111, pharmacies and urgent treatment centres for common conditions.
“We are not yet where we want to be but improving performance while helping record numbers of patients is an achievement we should recognise. While it’s encouraging to see fewer 12‑hour waits in our emergency departments, even one person waiting that long is one too many.
“We work strategically using data to understand where improvement is needed, and to reduce the number of people using emergency departments when it’s not an emergency. Our winter initiatives like Acute Respiratory Hubs have made a real difference in helping people get same‑day care closer to home rather than in A&E.”
Primary care and community services also played a vital role in relieving pressure on urgent and emergency care. GP practices delivered more than nine million appointments over the winter period, while increased use of community pharmacy for minor illnesses helped ensure emergency services were available for those with the most urgent needs.
The Provider Collaborative will continue to work with partners across the integrated care system to build on the progress made this winter, focusing on patient flow, timely discharge, and further reducing long waits.
