We’ve learnt a lot...now NHS is much better

NEW government figures show the pandemic has had a calamitous effect on hospital waiting times.

Nearly four and half million people in England are waiting. That’s the highest number since records began in 2007.

And what’s worse, it may be only half the true number that are in the queue.

A huge, hidden waiting list is building up, of people who kept away from hospitals last year.

Many are putting up with poor health while they wait things out.

They worry about “bothering” the NHS when others are in greater need.

Some may even ignore signs that something is seriously wrong.

That’s why the NHS is still urging people not to ignore worrying symptoms, but to get advice from NHS 111.

Despite the gloomy figures, the NHS is doing better than it was during the first wave.

Back in the spring, all planned operations were cancelled, to focus wholly on treating the dangerous new virus. Only urgent and emergency services kept going.

But the NHS learnt a lot over the year. We learnt to create separate “Covid-light” areas in hospitals.

We got more test kits too, which helped us to start up more services again.

Even in November, with the country in a second lockdown, the NHS treated twice as many people as in April.

But with the new variant now wreaking havoc, we have to focus again on saving lives.

This means vaccinating the vulnerable, and keeping urgent and emergency services going.

And when we get through this second wave, we must return to the task of helping all those waiting patiently for a life-changing operation.

New hips and new knees are the small miracles of modern medicine.

Relieving pain, and getting people mobile and back to work again, will be key to the recovery of the country.