NHS waiting list hits record 7.6million with 380,000 patients waiting over year
NHS waiting lists in England have climbed to a new record high of 7.6 million. The appointment waiting list in England at the end of June, up from 7.5 million in May, comes despite Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisting cutting waiting lists is a priority for 2023.
Junior doctors will walk out for four days from 7am in what is the latest strike of the current NHS industrial dispute over a decade of below inflation pay awards from the Tories. Consultants will strike for two days from August 24, and have threatened to walk out for a further 48 hours on September 19 if the Government continues to "refuse to agree to pay talks".
The NHS England data shows this summer is on track to be the busiest ever for the NHS staff with 4.42 million attendances in A&E over June and July – 42,500 more than the previous high last summer. It saw another record month for cancer checks with over 261,000 urgent referrals in June.
Shadow Health Minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan said: “Patients are waiting in pain and discomfort for months or even years. Rishi Sunak has no plan to turn this around, he only offers excuses. He blames hard-working doctors and nurses, yet he hasn’t lifted a finger to stop the strikes.”
The figure is the highest since records began in 2007. A total of 383,083 people had been waiting more than 52 weeks to start routine hospital treatment at the end of June, down slightly from 385,022 at the end of May.
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Elsewhere, some 7,177 patients are estimated to have been waiting more than 18 months, down from 11,446 at the end of May. The Government and NHS England vowed to eliminate all waits of more than 18 months by April 2023 - excluding exceptionally complex cases or patients who choose to wait longer - with the aim of stopping waits of more than a year by March 2025.
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The publication of the figures comes after the NHS announced that patients affected by backlogs could skip the queue at their local hospital if they are willing to travel to other parts of England. The health service is extending the use of a "matching platform" where patients are "matched" with providers of the service they need outside their local area. The system was initially launched in January for patients needing a hospital admission, but will now include cancer, diagnostic checks and outpatient appointments.
Earlier this month the Government also revealed it would expand its use of private sector capacity in a bid to ease pressure on the NHS. Thirteen new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will open across England, eight of which will be privately run. The facilities will carry out an additional 742,000 scans, checks and tests per year.
In July, the Government said all public sector workers will get a pay rise in line with pay review body recommendations. Junior doctors will receive 6%, as well as an additional £1,250 consolidated rise, while consultants will be given 6%. Mr Sunak said "there will be no more talks" on pay and that the Government's proposed deal is "fair".
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England's National Clinical Director for Urgent and Emergency Care, said: “Today’s data is a reminder of the significant pressure on staff with this summer currently on trajectory to be the busiest in NHS history, all while industrial action continues to disrupt services.
“The NHS will see a fifth round of junior doctor strike action with thousands of appointments and procedures likely to be postponed, the NHS will need to prioritise emergency care once again.”
RCN Chief Nursing Officer Nicola Ranger said: “With a record number of patients now on a waiting list in England, the NHS is falling into deeper crisis. A decade of underinvestment in the NHS has led to dire consequences for patients and pushed many nursing staff out of the profession they love and with unrelenting pressure on those who remain.
“There are over 40,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England and with the recently announced NHS Workforce Plan, so much more needs to be done to both recruit and retain brilliant nursing staff. We will never be able to provide care to patients and tackle the backlog without nursing staff.”
Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokeswoman Lib Daisy Cooper said: “This latest Conservative Health Secretary is not up to the job and owes the public an apology. He says his main focus has been bringing down the waiting list, but he is failing miserably, leaving millions in pain and discomfort.
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"The NHS cannot take any more of this Conservative government. The NHS is being pushed to the brink through neglect, incompetence, and disregard for the needs of patients. This Conservative government should hang their heads in shame. Rishi Sunak needs to bring forward a proper plan to bring down waiting times as a matter of urgency.”
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