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<p>A range of measures are in place to reduce accident and emergency waiting times
in National Health Service hospitals. NHS England has set out a plan to substantially
increase capacity and resilience this winter. NHS bed capacity will be increased by
the equivalent of at least 7,000 general and acute beds, including a mix of new physical
beds and expanding the use of innovative virtual wards to treat patients safely at
home.</p><p> </p><p>Our plan for patients set out further urgent action, including
£500 million for an Adult Social Care Discharge Fund, helping people get out of hospitals
quickly, freeing up beds and reducing long waits in accident and emergency. The Government
has also announced an additional £200 million to enable the NHS to immediately buy
up beds in the community to safely discharge thousands of patients from hospital and
free up hospital capacity helping free up hospital beds so people can be admitted
more quickly from accident and emergency to wards, reducing pressure on emergency
departments.</p>
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