Waits up 18,000%

queue for year »»1.5m patients on list for 18wks

nose and throat treatment has swelled from 55 a year ago to 36,842 today.

The number of women waiting for gynaecology treatment is up from 52 to 18,521. And while last year there were two people waiting 52 weeks for cardiothoracic surgery, there are now 371.

Those waiting more than a year for eye ops has risen from 71 to 32,672. And the number of people waiting for bone surgery has jumped from 414 to 67,137.

While Covid has impacted waiting lists, Mr Ashworth says the virus is not solely to blame for the huge rises.

He said: “Neglecting the NHS left us vulnerable to this pandemic. That needs to be urgently fixed. There shouldn’t have to be a choice between Covid care and cancer care.

“We have to learn what went wrong and why NHS staff were sent into the front line with inadequate PPE.

“We did not prepare and there are more pandemics to come as diseases jump from animals to humans.” He cited Chinese research showing bats are harbouring 21 new coronaviruses.

Mr Ashworth said the recruitment and retention of NHS staff was crucial and the PM’s one per cent pay proposal – effectively a pay cut – was a disgrace.

He said: “They should enter into discussions with NHS staff and their representative bodies and put no ceiling on what they are prepared to offer.”

NHS Providers, which represents health bosses, said the rescue plan must include filling 100,000 vacancies.

Chief Chris Hopkins warned: “We simply do not have enough staff.

“We need more doctors and nurses, more healthcare assistants, district nurses and paramedics.”

He also said designs for 40 hospitals may have to be redrawn to make them suitable for future pandemics.