Health reporter(wp/es):
NHS hospitals could suspend outpatient appointments as a cold snap hits the UK, Jeremy Hunt has said.
The Health Secretary also issued a warning for people to stay away from A&E as emergency departments face mounting pressure.
In a statement to the Commons, Mr Hunt said hospitals were on the whole coping better than this time last year but that, with further cold weather on the way, some "distressed" trusts would be able to take action to relieve pressure.
This may include ensuring people in care homes and residential homes really need taking to hospital, and trying to open more care beds so elderly people who are medically fit can be discharged from hospital
He said the commitment to see patients within four hours must only apply to those needing the most urgent care.
He added: "With further cold weather on the way this weekend, a spike in respiratory infections and flu, there will be further challenges ahead.
"So NHS England and NHS Improvement will also consider a series of further measures which may be taken in particularly distressed systems on a temporary basis.
"These may include temporarily releasing time for GPs to support urgent care work, clinically triaging non-urgent calls to the ambulance service for residents of nursing and residential homes before they're taken to hospital, continuing to suspend elective care, including, where appropriate, suspension of non-urgent appointments.
"(We will also be) working with CQC (Care Quality Commission) on rapid re-inspection when this has the potential to reopen community health and social care bed capacity, (and) working with community trust and nursing teams to speed up discharge."
The Met Office has announced that milder temperatures expected at the beginning of the week will plummet on Wednesday night as “wintry showers” travel across the UK and through the Channel.
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