NHS Waiting List in England at Record High

A record number of over 5.45 million people are on the NHS waiting list for hospital treatment in England.

The figures from June show a mixed picture. While the number of people waiting longer than 18 weeks or a year are both down, there is a rise in those waiting over two years.

More people are referred for treatment as coronavirus restrictions ease, meaning a lot of people joined the waiting list in recent weeks.

Professor Stephen Powis of NHS England says the highest numbers ever came forward for care this summer. According to him, the National Health Service is making “effective use” of the extra resources it received to deal with the Covid backlog.

What does the data show?

The published data shows that the amount of people waiting to begin treatment is at the highest level since records began in August 2007. The number waiting for procedures has risen from 5.3 million in May to 5.45 million.

In July, 2.16 million people received treatment in Accident and Emergency departments, in comparison to 2.15 million in June.

Meanwhile, more than a million calls were responded to by ambulances in July. However, waiting times are at their longest since the introduction of a new call logging system in 2017.

But it’s not all bad news as there are also signs of some progress in areas. The number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for care has fallen by almost 25,000 to 1.7 million. While the number of those waiting over a year to begin treatment was down in June to 304,803 from the previous month’s 336,733.

‘Going at full pelt’

Chris Hopson of NHS Providers says the NHS is “going at full pelt” in attempts to work through the backlog. However they are having to deal with a shortage of 8,000 beds compared to usual, due to infection control. Hospitals are also having to cope with large numbers of staff self-isolating as they enter the peak leave period. Large numbers of patients are coming in for urgent care at the moment. Meanwhile, beds are still filled with around 5,000 people with Covid.

A long-term funding settlement is crucial.

President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS), Professor Neil Mortensen, says a “volatile mix of pressures” is hindering the NHS’ ability to address surgery backlog. This includes Covid control measures and staff shortages.

A 46% increase from the previous month brings the number of patients waiting over two years for treatment to 5,727. The majority of these are in need of hernia operations, hip and knee replacements or gallbladder removals. Without medical attention, some of these people may be unable to work or even carry out day to day tasks while they wait for procedures.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) warn that the number on waiting lists could rise much further, with potential to reach 14 million by the end of next year.

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