Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce pressure on NHS A&E departments in (a) South Tyneside, (b) Gateshead, (c) the North East and (d) England.

NHS England advises that the North East and North Cumbria Urgent and Emergency Care Network, working on behalf of local clinical commissioning groups , has produced a winter surge management campaign to help reduce pressure on accident and emergency (A&E) services in the region. The campaign launched on 13 November during the national self-care week, and the winter activity will last until the end of March 2018.

South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust has robust winter plans in place to ensure the proactive management of patient flow, facilitation of safe and timely discharge and the efficient use of inpatient capacity during the winter period. These plans are operational from November 2017 to May 2018 and were submitted as part of the local A&E delivery board plans and in line with the North East region’s urgent and emergency care network. The Trust planned extra bed capacity for the winter period, with up to 24 additional acute inpatient beds available as needed.

Nationally, the National Health Service planned earlier than ever before to cope with this winter, supported by an additional £437 million which includes funding to make sure people going to A&E get directed to the right service for their needs, and an extra £1 billion of funding to be spent on meeting adult social care needs, supporting the social care market and reducing pressure on the NHS this year.