Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times at emergency departments for (a) patients and (b) ambulances with patients in (i) England and (ii) the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS England’s Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery 10 Point Action Plan includes an increased role for NHS 111 as the first point of triage, measures to improve patient flow through hospitals and reduce pressure on emergency departments and ensuring medically fit patients can be discharged as soon as possible.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is extending its same day emergency care service to seven days a week and reducing demand on accident and emergency through expanding community rapid intervention services and collaborating with the local health and care system to increase primary care capacity. The Trust plans to develop its medical workforce, establish a frailty assessment area for elderly patients and maximise the use of its urgent treatment centre.