Based on the linked source; automatically prepared and checked against the original report.
Emergency demand rises
NHS England recorded its busiest September on record for emergency demand, with 2.44 million A&E attendances and 806,707 ambulance incidents. Health leaders said winter pressures were already emerging, while adult acute bed occupancy averaged 94.9%, up from 94.3% in August and 94.7% a year earlier. Respiratory viruses, including flu and RSV, were circulating.
Capacity and waiting lists
Capacity was also affected by delayed discharge: an average of 13,647 medically fit adults remained in hospital each day. The NHS nonetheless delivered 4,738,824 planned treatments, procedures and appointments between June and August, a summer record. Separately, the overall waiting list rose to 7.4 million in August, 41,848 higher than July; 65.2% had waited up to 18 weeks.
Mixed performance indicators
Some indicators improved. Cancer performance against the 28-day diagnosis and 31-day and 62-day treatment targets improved from August 2025. Three-quarters of GP users found contact easy, a survey high, while almost nine in ten pharmacy users were satisfied and eight in ten community-service users rated their experience positively. NHS England urged eligible people to accept vaccinations before winter.
