Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was forced to deny he is trying to cover up a rise in A&E waiting times after the government said they would delay releasing figures over the Christmas break. Labour accused the government of a 'media blackout', but they insisted it was to allow NHS staff to have time off over the holidays.
NHS England Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh today admitted the service is "creaking and under the pressure".
It comes in the wake of South Gloucestershire declaring a major incident on Monday due to 51 patients needing beds at Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Sir Bruce said A&E departments are seeing increasing numbers of patients and that ambulance services in parts of the country are also coming under strain.
ITV News' Rebecca Barry reports.
Senior NHS emergency medical consultant admits there is "absolutely a winter crisis."
Around 80% of all nurses hired by NHS hospitals in the past year were recruited from overseas amid a "serious" shortage of UK-based workers.
The Chief Executive for the NHS in Wales is to outline how health boards planning for winter pressures.