The key facts

  • Yvette Cooper announced £140 million for 14 schemes: urgent care centres, ambulances, department upgrades
  • A record 7.3 million A&E attendances over the summer; the elective treatment waiting list stands at 7.37 million procedures
  • The RCN called the funding 'yet another sticking plaster', while the Conservatives demanded an explanation of where the money will come from

Funding announcement

UK Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the NHS in England faces a 'tougher than usual winter' after a record-busy summer. She announced the allocation of £140 million to boost urgent care capacity to combat seasonal illnesses, including flu and norovirus. The funds will go towards 14 projects across England: new urgent care centres, an expanded ambulance fleet and upgrades to emergency departments. 'Winter will be tougher for our NHS this year after such a difficult summer. That is why we are preparing early and investing in additional urgent care capacity,' Cooper said.

Record summer and pressure on the system

According to NHS data, almost 7.3 million people attended accident and emergency departments in England between June and August — the highest figure for the summer period on record. NHS medical director Prof Frankie Swords noted 'ominous' signs of winter pressure: more patients with flu and respiratory viruses than usual for this time of year, and waits remain longer than desired. NHS chief executive Emma Rowland acknowledged that the winter will be difficult, but said the investment will help patients receive 'the right care, in the right place, at the right time'. The King's Fund think tank warned of a 'double crisis': staff and the system have almost no time to recover between peak periods.

Criticism and waiting lists

Conservative shadow health secretary Damian Hinds said the government needs to act, but demanded an explanation of where the money is coming from. The nurses' union RCN England called the funding 'yet another sticking plaster on a system on the brink of collapse': according to chief executive Patricia Marquis, nurses are heading into winter 'on an empty tank' and with staff shortages. Meanwhile, the elective treatment waiting list has grown for the second month in a row: at the end of August, around 7.37 million procedures were awaited by 6.24 million patients — the highest since October 2025. This calls into question the government's target of treating 92% of patients within 18 weeks by 2029.

An older person with white hair is pushed in a hospital chair by a man in blue medical uniform in a hospital corridorImage source, PA Media
Member of staff filling in notes in hospital ward corridor in blue overalls and other doctor walking in background along curtained baysWoman having scanAmy-Jane is stood in her living room and is smiling at the camera. She has long reddish-brown, straight hair and is wearing a brown and white spotty blouse.