"Invisible waiting list" crisis: nearly half of NHS patients not seen after referral
Nearly 3 million people stuck on NHS waiting lists in England haven’t had further care since their GP referral, new figures reveal.
Out of 6.23 million patients waiting for treatment, 48% remain completely unseen, trapped in an ’invisible waiting list crisis,’ the Patients Association warns.
And among the 2.99 million unseen patients, one million have already waited 18 weeks without any care, data from the health data specialist MBI Health shared with The Guardian shows.
It casts some doubt on Sir Keir Starmer’s ability to meet his pledge of reducing NHS waiting times in England from 18 months to 18 weeks over the next five years.
Sir Keir Starmer gives speech on plan to cut NHS waiting times in January in Epsom. Picture: Getty
Reflecting on the figures, Rachel Power, the chief executive of the Patients Association told the publication: “The scale is staggering, as nearly half of all patients on a waiting list haven’t been seen by anyone. That’s not a healthcare service; that’s a breakdown.
“These aren’t just statistics. They’re people checking their phones daily for hospital calls that never come, unable to plan their lives while their symptoms deteriorate.”
In a statement shared with The Guardian, The Department of Health and Social Care did not comment on the 3 million patients awaiting follow-up treatment.
A spokesperson said: “Thanks to this government’s record investment, reforms and the hard work of NHS staff, we’ve cut the waiting list by over 260,000 since July 2024, which also fell for the first time in 17 years in April and May outside the pandemic.
"On top of this, we have also delivered 4.6m appointments – more than double the 2m we promised.
“This government is delivering the fundamental reform needed to turn our NHS around, and our 10-year health plan will build on this progress, to ensure we meet our target that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2029.”
Figures from the NHS show that nearly 40% of patients waited more than 18 weeks for planned care in May.
However, the health body said the 60.9% who waited 18 weeks or less for planned care was the highest proportion since July 2022.
Last month, the Prime Minister unveiled a 10-year health plan, which set out a series of shifts to bring care much closer to people’s homes, reducing the reliance on hospitals and A&E.
Key reforms include an enhanced NHS app, giving patients more control over their care, new neighbourhood health centres open six days a week and at least 12 hours a day, and new laws on food and alcohol to prevent ill health.
Under the changes, there will also be fewer staff working in the NHS than previous projections said were needed, with far more providing care closer to home and fewer working in hospitals.
Sir Keir said: “It’s all down to the foundation we laid this year, all down to the path of renewal that we chose, the decisions made by the Chancellor, by Rachel Reeves, which mean we can invest record amounts in the NHS.
“Already [more than] 6,000 mental health workers [have been] recruited, 1,700 GPs, 170 community diagnostic centres – really important – already open. New surgical hubs, new mental health units, new ambulance sites. Record investment right across the system.”
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