Over 180,000 patients in the region benefited from SDEC in 2024, NHS England has revealed.

Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical director for NHS England – North West, said: ‘Same day emergency care services across the North West are ensuring patients with a range of conditions can access timely diagnosis, care and treatment, without admitting them to an inpatient bed.

‘This not only supports better outcomes and a better patient experience, but as we continue to experience seasonal pressures, will help to keep beds available for those who need them most.'

Every hospital trust in the North West now has an SDEC, typically co-located with the emergency department or acute medical unit, to assess and treat patients across a range of specialties, including medical, surgical, acute frailty, paediatrics and gynaecology, who need observation, diagnostics and care.

January figures show staff have continued to bring down waits for urgent and emergency care, with A&E performance and all categories of ambulance response times improved on both the month and year before. Around three quarters (73.4%) of patients were admitted, transferred, or discharged in A&E within four hours, while the average response for Category 2 ambulance calls was 31 minutes 22 seconds.