An average of 80,000 people visited A&E every day in June for the first time ever, as record temperatures hit the UK.
The NHS has said it is under just as much pressure as in winter and staff are facing an “onslaught of demand” amid heatwaves and the World Cup.
Average daily A&E attendances reached 81,264 for the first time ever last month – setting a new daily attendance record.
The record A&E visits came as temperatures reached 37.7C on 26 June at Lingwood, Norfolk, and red health heat alerts were issued across England.
NHS national medical director Professor Frankie Swords said: “These figures show that summer is now putting the NHS under just as much pressure as winter, with staff facing an onslaught of demand – and we have to prepare for it in the same way.
“What we’re seeing on the ground is really busy Mondays following weekends of football and sunshine, so please don’t delay coming forward for care when you need it, even if it’s in early hours on a weekend.
“In the continuing warm weather, please take precautions like staying hydrated, and check in on loved ones or those who are vulnerable, and as always, please dial 999 in an emergency, and otherwise use 111.”
During the June heatwave, several hospitals declared critical incidents, with University Hospital Southampton forced to cancel some planned operations and outpatient appointments.
Health chiefs warned the conditions were having an impact on services as they faced significantly more life-threatening emergency calls.
“These figures show an NHS under year-round strain, with extreme heat, fragile buildings, corridor care and unresolved workforce tensions all exposing how little resilience there is left in the system,” said Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund.
“We know that June’s extreme heatwave will have affected vulnerable groups and increased heat-related conditions, contributing towards this pressure. And it is notable that this extreme weather is likely to become more common.”
NHS figures also show the three busiest months in NHS history have been in 2026, as the health service manages demand never seen before in its history.
There were 894,143 calls to 999 answered in June, an average of 29,805 calls per day – 10 per cent higher than last June.
There were almost 2,000 more ambulance incidents every day in June (27,171) compared with June last year (25,322), an increase of more than 7 per cent.
The number of people seen within four hours in A&E was 75 per cent, just over half a percentage point down on June last year.
Amid the busiest-ever period in NHS history, the number of people waiting within 18 weeks for planned care increased slightly to 65.6 per cent of patients in May, compared with 65 per cent in April.
The overall waiting list increased to 7.28 million in May, a rise of 60,153 compared to April.
The NHS has also published data on corridor care for the second time, with more trusts reporting figures this month compared with last month’s first-ever data. Nationally per day, there were on average 2,432 instances of corridor care in emergency departments and 749 patients receiving corridor care elsewhere in hospital.
Health and social care secretary James Murray said: “Even in the face of record temperatures and the busiest summer in NHS history, healthcare staff have continued to deliver for patients and I want to thank every one of them for their extraordinary dedication.
“More people are now being treated within 18 weeks than at any point since 2021, while three in four A&E patients were seen within four hours.”
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