Ambulance handover delays outside hospitals in England are lower than at this point last year, in the latest sign winter pressures on the NHS may have eased.

Flu patient levels are also continuing to fall, though the number of medically fit patients unable to leave hospital beds remains close to an all-time high.

Health chiefs said that while there have been improvements in performance, staff remain under “significant” strain.

Some 18% of ambulance patients in England waited at least 30 minutes last week to be handed to A&E teams, according to NHS data.

The figure has fallen four weeks in a row since hitting a record 44% in the seven days to January 1.

Delays are now lower than in the equivalent week last winter, when the proportion stood at 20%.

Some 6% of patients waited more than an hour last week to be handed over to A&E teams, compared with 8% at this point in 2022.

The number of flu patients has also dropped for four consecutive weeks and is now down more than three-quarters (76%) from the start of the year.

An average of 1,291 people were in hospital with flu each day last week, a decrease from 2,034 the previous week and the lowest since early December.

At this point last winter the average was just 36.

The sharp drop in flu levels comes after a surge in cases in the run-up to Christmas, which health experts described as the worst flu season for a decade.

But despite these positive trends, hospitals are still struggling to discharge people who no longer need to be there.

An average of 13,983 beds last week were taken up by patients who were fit to leave, close to the record 14,069 in the week to January 8.

At this point last year, the number stood at 12,257.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England Medical Director, said: “While there have been continued improvements in ambulance handovers and there are now fewer flu patients in hospital compared to the peak last month, today’s figures show that NHS staff remain under significant pressure.

“Last week saw more people being taken to A&E by ambulance than the week before, bed occupancy is still constrained and the number of people remaining in hospital who no longer need to be there has increased to almost 14,000, while illnesses like flu and norovirus remain a real concern.

“NHS staff are working incredibly hard to continue to provide the best care for our patients in the face of continued demand, and we are incredibly grateful for their efforts over this winter, which we know has been particularly challenging.”

Norovirus cases in England have increased slightly, with an average of 393 adult hospital beds occupied last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, up week-on-week from 371.

The equivalent number at this point last year was 316.