The NHS is under mounting pressure this summer, with England’s health service reporting its busiest month ever for emergency care in June 2026 amid record heatwaves and the World Cup. Average daily A&E attendances passed 80,000 for the first time, reaching 81,264, while NHS leaders said the service is facing a “summer onslaught” of demand.
At the same time, new patient survey data suggests some parts of primary care are recovering. More than three-quarters of patients, 76.7%, said they had a good overall experience of their GP practice last year, up from 75.4% the year before. Online access is also becoming more common, with 79.2% of respondents using online services in the last 12 months and 30.8% contacting their practice online.
The data also points to steady gains in pharmacy and dental access. Almost 9 in 10 patients reported a good experience of pharmacy services, while 81.5% said they were able to get an NHS dental appointment the last time they tried, up from 76.3% in 2024.
Emergency care remains under strain despite faster access in some areas
Although demand continues to rise, the NHS said 75% of patients were seen within four hours in A&E in June, just over half a percentage point down on the same month last year. The health service also reported 894,143 calls to 999 in June, alongside almost 2,000 more ambulance incidents every day compared with June 2025.
Planned care activity remains another pressure point. The share of patients waiting within 18 weeks for treatment rose slightly to 65.6% in May, while the overall waiting list increased to 7.28 million. NHS England also published corridor care data for the second time, showing an average of 2,432 instances in emergency departments and 749 patients receiving corridor care elsewhere in hospital each day.
Leaders urge people to seek help without delay
NHS National Medical Director Professor Frankie Swords said summer is now putting the NHS under as much pressure as winter and urged people not to delay coming forward for care when they need it. He also advised the public to stay hydrated, check on vulnerable people and use 111 for non-emergencies, while calling 999 in an emergency.
Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said staff had continued to deliver for patients despite record temperatures and the busiest summer in NHS history. He said more people are now being treated within 18 weeks than at any point since 2021, and argued that the latest GP Patient Survey shows progress in improving the front door of the NHS.
The latest figures suggest the service is managing a complex mix of rising urgent demand and slow improvements in access. For patients, the message from NHS leaders is clear: seek help early, use the right service, and expect the system to remain stretched through the peak summer period.
Source: NHS England news release
