Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Waiting times for routine hospital treatment in England hit record levels in August, according to official figures released on Thursday, which also showed emergency services were under acute pressure.
About 7.75 million patients were waiting to begin treatment, up from 7.68 million in July, based on data from NHS England. Meanwhile, the number of people waiting more than 12 hours for treatment after a decision has been made to admit them to emergency departments reached 33,107 in August, a 15% increase from the previous month’s 28,859.
These figures are another setback for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has made reducing waiting lists a priority ahead of the upcoming general election. Both the ruling Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party have made addressing the NHS crisis a central part of their campaigns to win over voters.
The data also revealed an increase in the number of patients waiting more than a year for routine treatment, rising from 389,952 to 396,643 month-on-month. Additionally, 8,998 individuals were waiting for over 18 months, compared to 7,298 in July, highlighting the ongoing failure of the health service to meet the target of eliminating all 18-month waits by April of this year.
Just under 71.6% of patients were seen within four hours in emergency departments, falling short of the target of 95% and down from 73% the previous month.
A series of strikes in the NHS since December has added to the pressures already faced by the health service during the winter months, resulting in the cancellation of over 1 million outpatient appointments and operations.
Consultants have joined junior doctors in taking industrial action over the summer, causing health leaders to warn of a “tipping point” for the NHS in England.
“The Prime Minister’s key pledge to reduce the size of the waiting list by March 2024 is appearing more and more doubtful,” said Professor Peter Friend, Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
“Increased demand, record staff vacancies, and industrial action continue to hamper recovery efforts. While NHS staff are working tirelessly to reduce waiting lists, they are doing so under extremely challenging circumstances – and that’s before the winter pressures hit,” Professor Friend added.
Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst at the King’s Fund, echoed these sentiments, suggesting that the latest figures indicate the NHS is “running red hot” as it enters the busy winter period.
An analysis of official data by the Financial Times earlier this month revealed that the NHS is heading into the season with a significant disparity between demand and capacity.
Cancer Research UK highlighted a range of key cancer targets that have been missed. Michelle Mitchell, CEO of the charity, stated, “Behind these figures are people waiting anxiously for a cancer diagnosis, and patients left uncertain about when they’ll receive the urgently needed treatment.”
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, acknowledged the high levels of demand on the health service and their compounding effect due to industrial action. He added, “But despite this pressure, it is clear from today’s figures that NHS staff are working incredibly hard to deliver for patients, with 10% more patients coming off the waiting list in August compared to the same month before the pandemic.”
The government stated, “Reducing waiting lists is one of the government’s top five priorities, and despite the disruptions caused by strikes, 18-month waits have declined by over 90% since their peak in September 2021.”
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
