In a letter to the health service, NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has praised staff for pulling out all the stops to achieve its target of having less than 80 per cent of hospital beds filled on Christmas Day – which staff managed alongside other pressures including an early rise in winter viruses.
There were more than 5,000 fewer patients in hospital this Christmas day compared to Christmas day last year; with 78.5 per cent of beds occupied.
Figures published also show the NHS managed to keep almost 94.7 per cent of planned routine care going during the five days of strike action by resident doctors between December 17 and December 22.
There were on average 19,120 resident doctors absent from work each day during strike action.
Data showed the NHS received the second highest number of calls to 111 in two years on December 27 (87,318 calls answered).
Sir Mackey said: “I am incredibly proud of our NHS staff who worked through the festive period to help thousands of people return home from hospital during Christmas week, so they could enjoy flu-free celebrations.”