Official figures reveal that 60% of patients at England’s busiest hospital trusts are not being treated within the NHS’s designated time target. The legal right for routine procedures, such as hip and knee replacements, is 18 weeks from referral, but not a single NHS trust has met the threshold of ensuring that 92% of patients are seen within this timeframe. This is a clear violation of the health service’s own rulebook, and nationally, hospitals in England have failed to meet the target for seven consecutive years.
The analysis of trust data conducted by MailOnline highlights that delays were most severe at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, where only 42.4% of patients waited less than four-and-a-half months before starting treatment. Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (43.2%) and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (46.1%) also fell significantly short of the target.
The data also reveals that patients from Wales are increasingly seeking NHS care in England to avoid longer waits. In June, only 59.2% of patients referred for treatment had been waiting less than 18 weeks, leaving 3.1 million patients waiting longer. Furthermore, over 380,000 patients have been in the queue for at least one year.
The dire situation prompted Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting to condemn the Conservative government for running the NHS into the ground over the past 13 years, resulting in longer wait times for treatment. He pledged that under a Labour government, the NHS would be restored to its previous standards, with increased training for staff and comprehensive reforms to ensure timely care. Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Spokesperson Daisy Cooper echoed these sentiments, calling for urgent action to address staff shortages and repair dilapidated hospitals.
The backlog in England now stands at 7.6 million procedures, with approximately one in seven people stuck in the system awaiting care. The disruptions caused by the pandemic, staffing crises, strikes, and high demand for NHS care have all contributed to this growing problem. While the NHS is making efforts to reduce waiting times, including the launch of a tool to flag treatment slots, the overall number of patients waiting has continued to rise.
The analysis excludes specialist NHS trusts and focuses on routine operations, excluding cancer patients who require more urgent care. The average wait time for patients is now 14 weeks, compared to nine weeks before the pandemic. The NHS acknowledges that progress is being made, with the number of patients waiting over a year falling by 2,000 in June. However, the magnitude of the challenge requires significant action to address the current crisis and ensure that patients receive timely and quality care.
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