The NHS across the North East and Yorkshire has set out how it is preparing for what is expected to be one of the busiest winters on record. Hospitals, community teams, GPs, mental health services and social care partners are working together to strengthen capacity, improve patient flow, support timely hospital discharge and provide more care closer to home.

This winter’s approach focuses on key areas including same day emergency care, improved ambulance handovers, expanded urgent community response teams, greater use of virtual wards and wider access to primary and community pharmacy services. The aim is to ensure people receive timely, safe care while easing pressure on the most stretched parts of the system.

Signposting to the right service remains central to the plans, with NHS 111, urgent treatment centres, Pharmacy First and the NHS App helping people get the right help first time. Vaccination also continues to play an important role in protecting vulnerable people from winter viruses.

Services across the region are already making a difference. At Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Urgent Same Day Emergency Care is now treating more than 750 people a week, cutting A&E times by up to 77 percent and allowing up to 95 percent of patients to go home the same day.

Mental health provision is being strengthened too, with dedicated Mental Health Emergency Departments now open in Grimsby, Middlesbrough and Sheffield, giving people in crisis fast, specialist same day support in a calmer setting and creating more front doors for mental health care alongside emergency departments.

Building on learning from last winter, ambulance services are also putting direct measures in place for winter, with North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) carrying out winter ready vehicle checks, boosting 4X4 capability for rural areas, adjusting staffing and training rotas to maximise crews at peak times and working closely with hospitals to speed up handovers. Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) has expanded its support for people in crisis this winter through specialist mental health response vehicles, providing on scene assessment and care and reducing the need for patients to be taken to A&E. In addition, both NEAS and YAS have been working closely with hospitals this year to introduce a Transfer of Care process at all emergency departments which is helping to speed up patient handovers and free up ambulances to respond to emergencies in their communities.

In Calderdale, primary care teams are using innovative point of care testing across all five primary care network hubs so bacterial respiratory infections can be diagnosed quickly and confidently. This helps ensure these illnesses are treated effectively in the community, avoiding unnecessary hospital attendances and admissions.

Dr Hamish McLure, Regional Medical Director for NHS North East and Yorkshire, said: “Our preparations this year span every part of the system, from primary and community care to emergency departments and specialist mental health support. We are building on real improvements already taking place across the region and we are focused on ensuring people receive safe, timely care throughout the winter months. I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for their flu, Covid or RSV vaccine, as this remains one of the simplest and most important ways to protect yourself and reduce pressure on NHS services.”

Tony Baldasera, Head of Urgent and Emergency Care for NHS North East and Yorkshire, said: “Teams across the region are working closely together to keep services running smoothly and to make sure patients are cared for in the right place as quickly as possible. Strengthened same day emergency care, improved flow through our hospitals and better access to community services are already making a difference.”

The region is also running one of the largest winter vaccination pushes in the country, with more than 325,000 flu appointments available this week and pop-up clinics appearing in markets, football grounds and community hubs to help people get protected ahead of the festive period.

In community pharmacies, it is becoming easier than ever this winter for patients to access care at a time that is convenient to them, including prescription-only medicines where appropriate for seven common conditions such as sore throats.

Looking to 2026 and beyond, more services are due to come online, including new facilities such as the purpose-built urgent treatment centre at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, which will relieve pressure on the emergency department and improve access for patients.

The NHS is encouraging anyone with health concerns to seek help when they need it and to make full use of local services that can provide fast and appropriate care.

For more information on how services in the North East and Yorkshire are preparing for winter, visit www.england.nhs.uk/north-east-yorkshire/our-work/preparing-for-winter