Hospitals appeared to be under less strain over the Christmas period than in previous years, NHS England figures suggest.
Data released for the festive period showed fewer A&E closures and ambulance delays than the same period last year.
Levels of flu and vomiting bug Norovirus also remained low.
NHS England said the improvement was a result of good planning and hard work by staff.
The figures covering a two-week period over Christmas showed there were 32 A&E diverts – where doors are closed to ambulances – compared to 45 in the same period last year.
One in nine ambulance crews faced delays dropping patients off at hospital – a figure that peaked at one in five last year.
An NHS England spokesperson said: “Thanks to the hard work and preparation of NHS staff, the health service is performing better this winter than last.”
At the time of publication, figure were only available for England, not the rest of the UK.
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