Government announces new urgent and emergency care plan

Under the new Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for England announced today, the government has promised that patients will receive better, faster and more appropriate emergency care as it sets out reforms to shorten waiting times and tackle persistently failing trusts.

Epilepsy Society welcomes these new proposals, in particular the plan to see more patients receive care in the community, rather than being unnecessarily admitted into hospital. The measures promise more paramedic-led care in the community and this includes patients receiving more effective treatment at the scene of an accident or in their own homes from ambulance crews. 

Nicola Swanborough, Head of External Affairs at Epilepsy Society said: “We know that many people with epilepsy would prefer to be able to recover from a seizure at home rather than in hospital. We hope that the new reforms will enable more people to do so with the appropriate level of care being administered by paramedics. Equally, with more patients being cared for in the community, we hope that those who need hospital care will receive it without excessive waiting times and without spending time in a hospital  corridor.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “This major plan sets out how we will work together to resuscitate NHS urgent and emergency care, with a focus on getting patients out of corridors, keeping more ambulances on the road, and enable those ready to leave hospital can do so as soon as possible.”  

A&E waiting time standards have not been met for over a decade, while the 18-minute target for category 2 ambulance calls has never been hit outside the pandemic. 

But at least one in five people who attend A&E don’t need urgent or emergency care, while an even larger number could be better cared for in the community."

You can read more about the NHS change plan here: NHS England » Urgent and emergency care plan 2025/26