NHS waiting list highest in almost a decade

THE NUMBER of patients waiting longer than the recommended 18 weeks to start planned NHS hospital treatment has reached the highest number in almost a decade by exceeding half a million, official figures show.

NHS England referral to treatment (RTT) statistics for April show 500,068 patients waited more than 18 weeks to start planned treatment, the highest figure since August 2008 when 520,000 people were waiting 18 weeks or more for planned treatment. The Royal College of Surgeons said the figures were disappointing and it was unclear how the NHS will catch up with the backlog from the busy winter.

As only 87.5 per cent of patients were seen within 18 weeks, the Government’s 92 per cent target has not been met since February 2016.

It said the data also shows NHS England and NHS Improvement are already missing their target of ensuring that by March 2019 the waiting list size does not exceed the level at March 2018 (3.84m patients), with more than 4m patients on the waiting list for the first time.

Vice president Ian Eardley said: “It is very worrying that there are now half a million patients waiting for planned hospital treatment.

“Disappointingly, and despite the efforts of front-line staff, NHS waiting lists have now ballooned to levels that we have not seen since 2008.”

NHS England said 90.4 per cent of patients – a record 1.95m – were admitted, treated, transferred or discharged within four hours in May. The previous highest number of patients seen in four hours in one month was 1.91m in July 2013.