NHS waiting list spirals to ANOTHER record high

NHS waiting list spirals to ANOTHER record high with 7.3m patients now in queue as the Government misses key target to eliminate all 18-month waits

• The waiting list figure is now the highest since records began in August 2007 
• Some 10,737 patients were also waiting over 18 months for treatment in March 
• The Government had set the ambition of eliminating all 18 month waits by April 

The number of people in England waiting for routine NHS ops has soared to a record high, grim data revealed today. 

Official figures show 7.33million were left waiting for operations such as as hip and knee replacements at the end of March.

The backlog is up from 7.22million in February and marks the highest total since NHS records began in August 2007. 

Almost 360,000 patients have been forced to endure year-long waits for their routine treatment, often while in serious pain. 

The Government also missed a key target of eliminating 18-month waits for planned NHS care.

Official figures showed 7.33million were left waiting for operations such as as hip and knee replacements at the end of March. The backlog is up from 7.22million in February and marks the highest total since NHS records began in August 2007. Almost 360,000 patients have been forced to endure year-long waits for their routine treatment, often while in serious pain

A&E performance was also at 75 per cent, the best since September 2021. Fresh A&E data for April shows the number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted stood at 26,899. More than 39,000 were left waiting more than 12 hours to be seen in March

The data from NHS England showed 10,737 people were left waiting more than 18 months to start routine treatment at the end of March.

This is down from almost 30,000 at the end of February and a reduction of more than 90 per cent on the high of 124,911 in September 2021.

However, under the NHS recovery plan unveiled by former Health Secretary Sajid Javid last year, the Government had set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than 18 months by April of this year. 

The health service is also supposed to scrap 12 month waits by March 2025. 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had made cutting waiting lists one of his priorities for 2023, pledging in January that ‘lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly’.

Which patients have been left waiting the longest?

Official figures showed 7.33million were left waiting for operations such as as hip and knee replacements at the end of March.

The backlog is up from 7.22million in February and marks the highest total since NHS records began in August 2007. 

Almost 360,000 patients have been forced to endure year-long waits for their routine treatment, often while in serious pain. 

Patients waiting for operations such as hip and knee replacements and general surgeries including gallbladder removals and hernia repairs were left waiting the longest, according to the data. 

Some 804,180 patients were waiting for trauma & orthopaedics, while 589,372 for ear, nose and throat treatment and 448,580 for general surgery. 

The number of people on cardiac waiting lists also rose to a record high of over 380,000 at the end of March – an increase of nearly 8,000 people on the previous month. 

On Tuesday, Labour accused the Government of another ‘broken promise’ after Health Secretary Steve Barclay told admitted that the target hadn’t been met.

NHS England said 41 per cent of the remaining 10,737 18-month waiters had chosen to wait or need complex surgeries, such as corneal transplants and spinal surgery.

Almost half of those on the 18 month waiting list are concentrated in 10 NHS trusts, according to the health service.

This figure is likely to have been exacerbated by the three-day junior doctor strike in March, which saw more than 175,000 patient appointment and surgeries cancelled.  

In March, senior health figures told the Health Service Journal there would still be around 11,000 patients on the elective waiting list who have been waiting longer than 78 weeks at the start of April.

They suggested that cancellations due to strike action by junior doctors had pushed up the number of potential outstanding cases from some 9,000 to around 11,000.

Of the 7.33million patients in the queue, those waiting for operations such as hip and knee replacements and general surgeries including gallbladder removals and hernia repairs were left waiting the longest, according to the data. 

Some 804,180 patients were waiting for trauma and orthopaedics, while 589,372 require ear, nose and throat treatment and 448,580 need general surgery. 

The number of people on cardiac waiting lists also rose to a record high of over 380,000 at the end of March – an increase of nearly 8,000 people on the previous month. 

Responding to the figures today, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: ‘The great strides the NHS is making on long waits, urgent and emergency care, and cancer services in the face of incredible pressure is testimony to the hard work, drive and innovation of frontline colleagues.

‘Since we first published the NHS Elective Recovery Plan last year, we have slashed the numbers waiting the longest for care with 18-month waits down more than 90 per cent on their peak.

She noted however there is ‘still much work to be done’.

‘But these are remarkable achievements given all the NHS has had to contend with – including the twindemic of flu and covid driving record demand that made for the busiest winter in our history,’ she added. 

Health Secretary Steve Barclay meanwhile said: ‘Today’s significant milestone shows we’re delivering on our Elective Recovery Plan despite NHS strikes and the challenging winter.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added: ‘We still have work to do, but backed by record government investment and the ongoing efforts of the NHS, I am confident we will get patients the care they need more quickly.’ 

However, shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting said the latest data shows that the Prime Minister ‘has broken his promise to end 18 months waits’, leaving thousands of Brits ‘in pain and discomfort for unacceptably long’.

He said: ‘This is just the latest broken promise that shows you can’t trust the Tories with the NHS.

‘Ministers blame strikes, as if they are mere bystanders. It was their refusal to speak to nurses and junior doctors that forced them out on strike in the first place.’

‘Labour will give the NHS the staff it needs to treat patients on time again. We will abolish the non-dom tax status to pay for training 7,500 more doctors and 10,000 more nurses a year.’

Official NHS figures on the number of patients waiting for treatment is likely to be exacerbated by the three-day junior doctor walkout in March, which saw more than 175,000 patient appointment and surgeries cancelled. In March, senior health figures told the Health Service Journal there would still be around 11,000 patients on the elective waiting list who have been waiting longer than 78 weeks at the start of April. They suggested that cancellations due to strike action by junior doctors had pushed up the number of potential outstanding cases from some 9,000 to around 11,000

Meanwhile, Mr Tim Mitchell, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘It is disappointing that the target to eliminate 78 week waits hasn’t been met but it is not for want of trying. 

‘Staff have worked incredibly hard in some of the most difficult circumstances the NHS has ever faced to clear these waits. 

‘Record staff vacancies, high levels of Covid and flu over the winter, and industrial action have all hampered recovery efforts.’

He added: ‘The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has made cutting waiting times one of his five key pledges, but the much promised and anticipated workforce plan, which will set the course to putting a proper dent in waiting lists, has yet to materialise. 

Read more: School leavers will be able to start working as doctors WITHOUT going to university under drastic NHS plans to fix staffing crisis

‘It’s time for the government to get on and publish the plan.’

NHS data on cancer waiting times however showed the 62-day cancer backlog has fallen for the first time since before the pandemic.

But almost 6,000 patients did not start treatment within two months of an urgent referral from their GP.

It means only 63 per cent of cancer patients were seen within the two-month target.

NHS guidelines state 85 per cent of cancer patients should be seen within this timeframe. This target has not been met since December 2015. 

Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: ‘Though it’s promising to see some progress, all cancer waiting time targets in England have been missed yet again.

‘Behind today’s numbers are patients who are anxious about their future and hard-working NHS staff who are stretched to capacity.’

She added: ‘The solution to tackling these delays lies in the hands of the Government who must show leadership and publish the long-awaited workforce plan for England. 

‘When it can take 15 years to train an oncologist, radiologist or surgeon, every day without a plan is a step further away from getting cancer services back on track. 

‘Without a fully-funded strategy to recruit, train and retain the staff we need, it will be difficult to improve cancer survival for all.’  

The NHS did however deliver a record number of diagnostic tests and checks in March (2.3million) – up more than 128,000 on the previous monthly record.

And A&E performance data for April shows that 75 per cent of patients were seen within four hours – the best performance since September 2021. 

These figures also showed the number of people waiting more than 12 hours to be seen, from a decision to admit to actually being admitted, stood at 26,899 – down from 39,000 in March.

Some 102,445 patients however were left waiting 12 hours to be treated after arriving at A&E. 

The latest ambulance figures for April also show waiting times fell significantly. 

Heart attack and stroke patients in England, known as category two callers, had to wait an average of 28 minutes and 35 seconds for paramedics to arrive. 

NHS data on cancer waiting times however showed the 62-day cancer backlog has fallen for the first time since before the pandemic. But almost 6,000 patients did not start treatment within two months of an urgent referral from their GP. It means only 63 per cent of cancer patients in total were seen within the two month target. NHS guidelines state 85 per cent of cancer patients should be seen within this timeframe but this figure has not been met since December 2015

Heart attack and stroke patients in England, known as category two callers, had to wait an average of 28 minutes and 35 seconds for paramedics to arrive. This is more than 10 minutes quicker than March and the shortest wait time since May 2021. The NHS target is 18 minutes however. But the Government has set a new average target of 30 minutes for 2023/2024

This means paramedics were more than 10 minutes quicker than in March and patients had the shortest wait time since May 2021. 

The NHS target is 18 minutes, however. 

But the Government has set a new average target of 30 minutes for 2023/2024.  

Ambulances took an average of eight minutes and seven seconds to attend the most life-threatening category one calls, such as cardiac arrests. 

While this was the shortest wait time since June 2021, the NHS target stands at seven minutes.  

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said: ‘When it comes to your heart, timely treatment can be the difference between life and death. 

‘That is why it is so shocking that month-after-month and year-after-year, we continue to see record numbers of people waiting too long for time-critical heart care.

‘Tragically, this severe disruption to heart healthcare is worsening and could mean more people living with avoidable heart failure and even lives lost.’

Meanwhile, Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: ‘Acute pressure on urgent and emergency care persists, with A&E attendances and ambulance call-outs still very high – compounded by pressure on social care and community services which leaves thousands of patients in hospital beds when they could be recovering at or closer to home.

‘Care backlogs pre-date strikes and the pandemic due to years of under-investment right across the NHS including mental health and community services.

‘The NHS needs a surgical, laser-like focus on strategic, long-term plans to boost capacity and bolster social care.

‘Trust leaders have called long and loud for a desperately needed national workforce plan, fully costed and fully funded by the government. 

‘Without it the NHS will continue to struggle to meet ever-growing demand with too few staff.’

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