Calls for help to tackle the record backlog of people waiting for NHS treatment
WITH plans to tackle the NHS waiting list backlog appearing to have been delayed, a report has shown how many people are waiting for treatment, and how long have they been waiting.
As of the end of November, there were 112,141 people in Leicestershire on the waiting list for NHS treatment.
That’s the equivalent of one in 10 people in the area being on the waiting list.
The waiting list has grown from 80,098 in November 2020, and 68,930 in November 2019.
Most people on the list have been waiting less than 18 weeks - however, the likelihood of waiting under that limit is falling.
The target is that 92 per cent of people on the list will have been waiting less than 18 weeks.
In November 2019, 82 per cent of people in Leicestershire had been waiting less time, by November 2021 it was 52.3 per cent .
Among those waiting the longest, 14,097 people had been waiting over a year in November. That compared to 4,869 in November 2020, and just one person in November 2019.
In April last year, NHS England began publishing the number of people who had been waiting more than two years. In Leicestershire, there were 137 patients in April and 1,383 by November 2021.
The waiting list across England hit 6 million in November, the highest number since records began in August 2007.
One in 20 people on the list, or 306,996 patients, had been waiting more than a year for treatment.
In April 2021, 2,608 people had been waiting more than two years for treatment. By November, that had soared to 18,585.
NHS England had been expected to publish a blueprint on February 7 to reduce waiting lists for nonurgent treatment in England after the pandemic. However, the plan has been delayed, with reports the
Treasury had refused to sign off on the proposals amid concerns about value for money.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid insisted the publication of the blueprint had been pushed back due to the Omicron surge in December and rejected claims of tensions at the top of Government.
Mr Javid told Sky News: “We will publish the plan shortly.
“What I would say about the Treasury is that I couldn’t wish for a better partner when it comes to the challenges I have.
“Having been chancellor, having a close relationship with the Treasury, having a strong partnership for any department is crucial and right now for health and care I am just really pleased we have got that really good working relationship.”
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, British Medical Association council chair, said many of those on the waiting list will be suffering, in pain, with a real risk conditions will worsen with further delays.
He said: “The Government has a moral duty to these patients to urgently lay out exactly how it plans to address this record backlog and ensure they get the treatment they need.
“For doctors, who are desperate to provide the best care they can for patients, they will be incredibly concerned to hear that vital funding for the NHS is being held up once again.
“The Government has been promising this plan for months now, and while the arrival of Omicron may have delayed this, healthcare staff now urgently need to know how leaders expect them to tackle the backlog in the months and years ahead, and crucially, provide resources to help them do this.”