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| Hospitals struggling as winter hits | Hospitals struggling as winter hits |
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| A&E units across the UK are struggling to hit their waiting time target as winter hits, latest figures show. | A&E units across the UK are struggling to hit their waiting time target as winter hits, latest figures show. |
| Demands on the NHS tend to increase during the colder months because of illnesses like flu and norovirus. | Demands on the NHS tend to increase during the colder months because of illnesses like flu and norovirus. |
| But with winter just getting under way, pressures are already reaching record levels. | But with winter just getting under way, pressures are already reaching record levels. |
| Extra money is being invested in each nation, but the four-hour A&E waiting time target is still being missed everywhere. | Extra money is being invested in each nation, but the four-hour A&E waiting time target is still being missed everywhere. |
| As health is devolved, data is published differently in the four UK nations. | As health is devolved, data is published differently in the four UK nations. |
| Hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are meant to see 95% of patients in four hours. | Hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are meant to see 95% of patients in four hours. |
| In England weekly figures are released. The latest, for the first week of December, show 91.8% of patients were seen in four hours - the worst performance since April 2013. | In England weekly figures are released. The latest, for the first week of December, show 91.8% of patients were seen in four hours - the worst performance since April 2013. |
| In Wales the data is published monthly with the figures from October showing just 84.7% of patients were seen in time - with one in 20 waiting more than eight hours. | In Wales the data is published monthly with the figures from October showing just 84.7% of patients were seen in time - with one in 20 waiting more than eight hours. |
| Northern Ireland is performing even worse - just under 80% of patients were seen within four hours in October. | Northern Ireland is performing even worse - just under 80% of patients were seen within four hours in October. |
| Scotland has a slightly tougher waiting time target - 98% of patients should be seen in four hours. In September under 94% were. | Scotland has a slightly tougher waiting time target - 98% of patients should be seen in four hours. In September under 94% were. |
| The warning comes as the BBC launches its NHS Winter project, which tracks how the health service is performing down to individual hospital trust level. | The warning comes as the BBC launches its NHS Winter project, which tracks how the health service is performing down to individual hospital trust level. |
| Analysis: Why is performance deteriorating? | |
| The simple answer is that more people are visiting A&E units. This is true for each corner of the UK, but as the data is most up-to-date for England it can be seen clearest there. | |
| Visits to A&E topped 436,000 last week - that is nearly 30,000 more than the same week the year before. | |
| But it is also the nature of the conditions patients are presenting with that makes a difference. | |
| The best indication of this is the numbers that need to be admitted into hospital as an emergency. They are the most complex cases that often take A&E staff the longest to deal with and lead to beds being occupied. | |
| The numbers topped 110,000 last week - that is one of the highest figures ever recorded. | |
| British Medical Association leader Dr Mark Porter said: "Pressure on NHS services is at a critical point and cracks are beginning to appear. | British Medical Association leader Dr Mark Porter said: "Pressure on NHS services is at a critical point and cracks are beginning to appear. |
| "While the NHS is used to seeing a spike in demand during winter months, this year emergency departments have experienced a spring, summer and autumn crisis as well, leaving no spare capacity in hospitals as we approach winter. | "While the NHS is used to seeing a spike in demand during winter months, this year emergency departments have experienced a spring, summer and autumn crisis as well, leaving no spare capacity in hospitals as we approach winter. |
| "At the same time, GP surgeries are struggling to cope with unprecedented levels of demand." | "At the same time, GP surgeries are struggling to cope with unprecedented levels of demand." |
| Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health bosses, said he agreed, adding the pressures were "huge" across the whole system. | Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health bosses, said he agreed, adding the pressures were "huge" across the whole system. |
| "While the winter brings its own challenges, our members regularly tell us that it is 'winter all year round' with pressures being experienced regardless of the time of year." | "While the winter brings its own challenges, our members regularly tell us that it is 'winter all year round' with pressures being experienced regardless of the time of year." |
| But Sarah Pinto-Duschinsky, director of operations and delivery for NHS England, said: "The NHS is pulling out all the stops, with local hospitals, ambulances, GPs, home health services and local councils all working hard to open extra beds and seven-day services using the extra winter funding." | But Sarah Pinto-Duschinsky, director of operations and delivery for NHS England, said: "The NHS is pulling out all the stops, with local hospitals, ambulances, GPs, home health services and local councils all working hard to open extra beds and seven-day services using the extra winter funding." |
| How the UK is preparing for winter | |