Rotherham’s health services prepare for winter following 'record levels' of demand
Demand at Rotherham's Urgent and Emergency Care Centre has gone up more than 20% in the last 3 years
Health services across Rotherham are preparing for the challenges of winter following a record-breaking summer and continued increases in the number of people needing urgent and emergency care.
With demand at the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC) more than 20 per cent higher than three years ago, and October forecast to be its busiest month yet, The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust is putting plans in place to manage pressures across emergency care, hospital wards and community services, while asking local people to help by choosing the right NHS service for their needs.
The increase is not limited to occasional spikes in demand. Analysis shows attendances have grown throughout the year, suggesting that higher levels of demand have become an increasingly regular feature for Rotherham's health services.
Jodie Roberts, Interim Chief Operating Officer at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“These figures demonstrate just how much demand for healthcare in Rotherham has grown. More than 111,000 people came through our Urgent and Emergency Care Centre last year and this summer we experienced some of our busiest days and months on record.
“But behind every one of those numbers is a person. It is someone who is worried about their health, a relative waiting with a loved one, or a patient who may need to be admitted to hospital and cared for on one of our wards. That is why we must never lose sight of the people behind the statistics.”
The pressure continued throughout summer 2026.
29 June was the busiest day ever recorded at UECC, while July saw 10,256 attendances and June saw 10,205.
Demand has remained high beyond the summer. October is forecast to become the busiest month yet, with around 10,462 attendances, compared with 9,566 in October 2025. If the forecast is realised, that would mean almost 900 additional patients coming through UECC in a single month compared with the same month last year.
The growth is also being seen across different types of urgent and emergency care. Over the four-year period examined by the Trust, Urgent Primary Care attendances increased by 55.58 per cent, Minor Injuries by 25.84 per cent and Majors by 17.4 per cent. Both walk-in attendances and patients arriving by ambulance have contributed to the increase.
Increasing demand for urgent and emergency care has an impact beyond the doors of UECC.
When someone is seriously unwell and needs to be admitted, that patient moves into another part of the hospital where ward teams take over their care. In turn, helping patients recover and leave hospital safely often relies on teams working across hospital and community services.
Between April and September 2026, average occupancy in adult general and acute beds was 91 per cent, compared with 89 per cent during the same period the previous year. May 2026 was also the busiest month in the period covered by the figures in terms of the number of patients in hospital beds.
Jodie Roberts said:
“The pressure doesn't stop at the doors of UECC. When more people need to be admitted, our ward teams are caring for more patients and working hard to help them recover and leave hospital safely.
“Our community teams also have a really important part to play. They support people in their own homes, help them recover following a hospital stay and, where possible, help people to stay well and avoid needing to come into hospital in the first place.
“It really is a team effort. A busy day in UECC isn't just felt by the colleagues working there. It can be felt right across our wards and into our community services.”
Despite increased demand, there are positive signs in how patients are moving through the hospital. Average length of stay reduced from 5.2 days between April and September 2025 to 4.6 days during the same period in 2026.
Jodie Roberts added:
“Reducing how long people need to stay in hospital, when it is safe and appropriate for them to go home, is really important for our patients as well as our services.
“The reduction we've seen in average length of stay reflects the work taking place across our hospital and community teams to help people receive the right care, recover and return home safely when they are ready.”
With demand already high, teams across The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust are preparing for the additional challenges traditionally associated with winter.
Colder weather and seasonal illnesses can bring further demand for NHS services, particularly when conditions such as flu and other respiratory illnesses are circulating.
Jodie Roberts said:
“Our colleagues have worked incredibly hard throughout what has already been a very busy year, and we know winter can bring further challenges.
“We are preparing our services for the months ahead so that we can continue providing safe, high-quality care for our patients. But there is also something everyone in Rotherham can do to help.
“We will always be here for people who need urgent or emergency care. If you are seriously unwell or it is an emergency, please don't hesitate to seek help. We don't want anyone who needs us to be put off coming forward.”
For illnesses and conditions that are not an emergency, other NHS services can often provide the right advice, treatment or support without the need to attend UECC.
People can:
• use NHS 111 online or call 111 if they need urgent medical help but are unsure which service to use
• speak to a community pharmacy for advice and treatment for a range of common conditions
• contact their GP practice for health problems that are not emergencies
• keep commonly used medicines at home and order repeat prescriptions in good time
• use 999 or attend UECC in an emergency.
Jodie Roberts added:
“Choosing the right service isn't about asking people not to seek healthcare. It's about helping people get the right care, in the right place, while making sure our emergency teams are able to concentrate on the patients who need them most.
“Behind the numbers are thousands of people who need our help, and thousands of interactions between patients, families and our colleagues. We want to make sure we can continue to be there for every one of them throughout winter.”
Information about when to use urgent and emergency services, including NHS 111, emergency departments (including Rotherham’s Urgent and Emergency Care Centre) and 999 is available on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/
• 92,283 UECC attendances in 2022/23.
• 111,269 attendances in 2025/26.
• 20.57% increase in UECC attendances between 2022/23 and 2025/26.
• 29 June 2026 was the busiest recorded day at UECC.
• 10,256 attendances in July 2026.