The UK's Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has called upon NHS leaders to prioritise the safety of patients as the health service confronts unprecedented pressures this winter season.

In a meeting with NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard and other trust leads, the emphasis was placed on addressing urgent care challenges.

The NHS is entering the winter season under significant strain, with hospitalisations at a high level and flu admissions quadrupling compared to last year.

At the NHS headquarters in London, Streeting stressed that clinical need should take precedence over the speed of patient turnover.

Improving emergency ambulance response times, reducing handover delays, and tackling prolonged waits in accident & emergency (A&E) departments are now the focus, putting patient welfare above statistical targets.

Streeting said: “We’ve already taken immediate action to keep patients safe by ending strikes – meaning this is the first winter in three years without staff on the picket line.

“This government’s Plan for Change sets out our work to bring down waiting lists, alongside the Ten-Year Health Plan that will deliver fundamental reform to build an NHS that is there for us all year round.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent plan for change aims to reduce the elective waiting list, which stands at more than 7.5 million, to alleviate the overall health system burden.

Reducing the backlog is seen as a step towards long-term health sector reform, ensuring timely care and establishing a sustainable A&E service.

This approach is also expected to facilitate workforce reintegration and, over time, lessen the wider health service pressures.

NHS leaders have discussed the current system's challenges and shared insights from managing previous winter crises.

Pritchard said: “As always, the public has an important role to play in helping NHS staff over winter by calling 999 and using A&E in an emergency only while using NHS 111 to access the right support for urgent health needs.”

The UK Health Security Agency is closely observing winter virus rates and encouraging eligible individuals to get vaccinated.