NHS accused of ‘cover-up’ as number of patients waiting over year for treatment doubles

THE number of patients waiting more than a year for operations has almost doubled amid record waiting times, as the NHS is accused of burying bad news.

The statistics show that 3.78million patients are now waiting for NHS treatment – a rise of more than 50 per cent since 2012. They include 1,573 patients waiting more than 52 weeks for planned operations, compared with 886 just a year ago – a rise of 78 per cent.

The total number of patients in England waiting longer than 18 weeks for routine surgery is the largest since September 2008, with more than 382,000 patients waiting this long.

Figures on NHS performance are normally published on the first Thursday of each month.

But after the election campaign began, health officials said that the set of data due out on polling day would be delayed. Instead, it was published yesterday, when all eyes were on the election results.

NHS England said it took the decision on the advice of the national statistician. Health watchdogs had already said they were “disappointed” after being told they could not publish factual financial information, showing the scale of NHS deficits, during the election campaign.

Labour said such actions amounted to a “cover-up” to deny the public the true picture of the NHS. Earlier this year, the head of the NHS was accused of abandoning waiting times targets after he said some patients would have to wait longer as a “trade off ” to improve other aspects of care.

The new figures show that in April, 89.9 per cent of patients were seen within such time, below standards of 92 per cent, and a drop from 91.6 per cent last year.

Clare Marx, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “Too many patients are waiting excessively long for surgery and our concern is we will only see the situation worsen as the impact of NHS England’s decision to deprioritise the 18-week waiting time target takes hold.”

Leaked forecasts from NHS regulators suggest waiting lists could reach 5.5million by March next year.