Five charts that show how the NHS is under acute pressure

Five charts that show how the NHS is under acute pressure With rising Covid infections and a big backlog of patients, many in the NHS want action to prevent a winter crisis

The NHS is caring for a rising number of Covid patients at the same time as it deals with a backlog of more than 5.7 million patients in England alone.

The head of the NHS Confederation warned the government this week that it must implement “plan B” winter measures – such as mask wearing and vaccine passports – to help deal with this accumulation of demand. The Guardian

See also: 

• Breaking point: Inside the NHS's looming crisis The Independent
• Sajid Javid risks sparking exodus of NHS managers, union warns The Independent
• It's NHS shortages we need to worry about this Christmas, not turkeys Metro
• COVID-19: NHS 'already in terrible place and struggling to cope', says A&E boss Sky News