The head of the NHS in England has praised staff for “working tirelessly” and “constantly innovating” to modernise care for patients in her Christmas message to health workers.

Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, spoke about how NHS innovations are improving care and providing better value for money during a visit to Sutton Health and Care Reablement Unit in South London.

She highlighted cancer vaccines and crisis mental health support as examples of new innovations introduced by the NHS over the past year, and praised staff at the Sutton health centre for creating a new wrap-around service to ensure patients leaving hospital have the support they need to live independently.

Amanda Pritchard said: “This service is a great example of how the NHS is constantly innovating – how our staff are always striving to modernise care, support more people in the community, and deliver better value for money.

“We’ve seen loads of other innovations this year from trialling cancer vaccines on the NHS, to the new 111 service for crisis mental health support, or providing greater patient convenience through the NHS App.

“So, thank you to every colleague in the NHS for working tirelessly – not just over the holidays, but all year round, to do the best we possibly can for patients.”

NHS England’s chief executive also used her end-of-year video message to remember those affected by loss at Christmas and spoke about a colleague, Tom, who previously filmed her Christmas messages. Tom died unexpectedly of a heart condition a few weeks ago.

Amanda said: “I know his family, friends, and everyone here miss him a great deal. And for me, this Christmas feels different without him. It’s also a reminder that lots of people find this time of year hard.

“In amongst all the seasonal celebrations, many of us are dealing with loss, loneliness, and hardship. So please do reach out for help if you need it, and take the time to check in on the people you see each day.

“And thank you again to all of my colleagues – not just for looking after all of our patients, but for looking after each other too.”

NHS staff are expected to deliver around 1,500 babies, dispatch 20,000 ambulances and serve 100,000 Christmas dinners on Christmas Day this year.

They will also provide care for thousands of patients hospitalised with flu, with the latest figures showing flu cases in hospital have already surpassed last year’s peak.

Data published last week revealed one in 20 hospital beds are being taken up or closed by a festive bug, with 2,629 patients with flu in hospital including 125 in critical care beds – up 90% on the week before (66 w/e 8 Dec).

Cases of norovirus and RSV also remain high with 711 beds taken up by norovirus patients, almost a quarter more than last year, and 127 children in hospital with RSV each day – a quarter more children when compared to the same period last year (94 w/e 17 December 2023).

Anyone eligible for a winter vaccine is being encouraged to visit a COVID-19 walk-in vaccination site or a pharmacy offering the flu vaccine.

People are being encouraged to use the NHS App or NHS website over the festive season for health information. They should continue to use A&E and 999 in life-threatening emergencies, or NHS 111 or 111 online for less urgent conditions.

You can also have your say on the future of the NHS by visiting change.nhs.uk to share your views, experiences and ideas which will help shape a new 10 Year Health Plan for England.

In a message to all staff, NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: “As we approach Christmas, the NHS is busy preparing. Just like every family, there are things we do every year – like ensuring we have the right mix of staff on shift to look after patients who can’t go home or who need urgent care. And of course, making sure we have enough food to serve 100,000 Christmas dinners. But there are always things that change, too.

“For example, today I’m here at the Sutton Health and Care Reablement Unit, meeting the multi skilled team of physios, occupational therapists, nurses, GPs and pharmacists. Together, they’ve built a new, wrap-around service to ensure patients leaving hospital have the support they need to live independently.

“From providing intensive rehab, to making sure people know how to manage new medicines, their focus is asking patients “what matters to you”, rather than “what’s the matter with you.”

“This service is a great example of how the NHS is constantly innovating – how our staff are always striving to modernise care, support more people in the community, and deliver better value for money.

“We’ve seen loads of other innovations this year from trialling cancer vaccines on the NHS, to the new 111 service for crisis mental health support, or providing greater patient convenience through the NHS App. So thank you to every colleague in the NHS for working tirelessly – not just over the holidays, but all year round, to do the best we possibly can for patients.

“And as we look towards 2025, we’ll carry on innovating. But we’re also asking staff, patients and the public to help us set a course for the NHS to improve over the next decade. So, if you haven’t had your say on the 10 Year Health Plan yet, you can do so at change.nhs.uk.

“On the topic of things changing, there is one other thing I’d like to mention. Each year as Chief Executive, I’ve shared a Christmas message like this. Those videos were filmed by a colleague called Tom. Sadly, a few weeks ago, Tom died unexpectedly of a heart condition he wasn’t aware of.

“I know his family, friends, and everyone here miss him a great deal. And for me, this Christmas feels different without him. It’s also a reminder that lots of people find this time of year hard.

“In amongst all the seasonal celebrations, many of us are dealing with loss, loneliness, and hardship. So please do reach out for help if you need it, and take the time to check in on the people you see each day.

“And thank you again, to all of my colleagues – not just for looking after all of our patients, but for looking after each other too.

“Merry Christmas.”