Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Crowding and its Consequences, published on 18 November, which found that there were 4,519 excess deaths in Emergency Departments in England during 2020–21 as a result of crowding and long stays.

No such assessment has been made.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have led detailed operational level winter planning with providers, regions and stakeholders, with actions for systems to support improved emergency care performance and patient flow through hospital, supported by £5.4 billion of additional funding. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Unit will coordinate support for the most challenged systems and £478 million has been allocated for the enhanced patient discharge programme, to increase bed capacity and reduce crowding in accident and emergency departments.