The NHS has announced its plans to prepare for what is expected to be a busy winter.

The health service will upgrade its 24-hour live data centres to manage demand, strengthen same-day emergency care and offer more falls services for older people.

NHS leaders have cautioned that urgent and emergency care services are likely to come under “significant pressure”.

NHS England has sent a letter to providers, asking systems to ensure all services work together to ensure patients are cared for in the safest possible place, and treated as quickly as possible.

This includes having front door assessments for patients to make sure they are signposted to the right place for their needs.

Trusts have been asked to focus on patient safety and experience, while maintaining consistent high standards of care, and only using temporary escalation spaces in periods of elevated pressure.

Before winter, NHS England will be carrying out reviews of each of the 42 integrated care systems to support them to deliver the actions necessary to cut waiting times and improve patient safety and experience.

Sarah-Jane Marsh, national director of urgent and emergency care and deputy chief operating officer for NHS England, said: “Winter is always a challenging time for the NHS and social care system – and despite extensive preparation our clinical and operational teams are braced for the expected surges in demand, alongside usual seasonal pressure.

“This plan is crucial in setting out the further action we must take to manage the needs of our population, while also working towards cutting waiting times at A&E and ensuring the privacy and dignity of those who have to wait the longest.”

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: “Staff in urgent and emergency care have worked incredibly hard over the last year – sometimes in very challenging environments

“Patient safety is our number priority and will be the focus for providers this winter, which will include regularly reviewing and putting in place processes to minimise ambulance handover delays, waits over 12 hours in A&E, long discharge delays and busy emergency departments.

“Vaccines are a crucial in protecting people against the spread of viruses and reducing strain on the NHS, so I would urge everyone eligible to get their flu, COVID-19 and RSV jabs booked, and as ever people should come forward for care in the usual way – by dialling 999 in an emergency and otherwise using 111.”