NHS waiting lists are still ‘stubbornly high’

THE NHS waiting list for treatment remains “stubbornly high”, with millions of people left in pain or unable to work, analysts have said,

Figures from NHS England show the size of the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England was unchanged in March, following five consecutive monthly falls.

An estimated 7.54 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of March, relating to 6.29 million patients, the same numbers as in February.

The list hit a record high in September 2023 with 7.77 million treatments and 6.50 million patients.

Other data published yesterday shows a mixed picture, with success in the number of people seen for a cancer diagnosis, but waits of more than a year for treatment rising.

Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at the King’s Fund, said: “As the NHS comes out of a tough winter, it is encouraging to see some green shoots in today’s statistics which show that improvements have been made in several key measures of cancer care. In March, 77% of people had their cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral, surpassing the national target of 75%.

“But the road ahead to make further progress in recovering performance in other areas of the NHS, including reducing lengthy waiting times for planned care and A&E, will be long. The hospital waiting list remains stubbornly high at 7.5 million in March, representing 6.3 million people waiting, often in pain or unable to work, for treatment. A&E departments also continue to be under extreme strain as we head towards summer, with over 2.2 million attendances in April, and only 74% of people seen in four hours.”

Mr Anandaciva said it was “patients and staff who are bearing the brunt of the deterioration in NHS performance over the past 10 years”, adding: “Successive governments have failed to invest in services to keep people well and outside of hospital. At the same time, NHS buildings and equipment have been allowed to degrade and become dilapidated. The Government will need to prioritise both of these areas if it wants patients to receive the urgent care they truly need.”

Thursday’s data showed the proportion of patients in England waiting no longer than 62 days in March from an urgent suspected cancer referral or consultant upgrade to their first definitive treatment for cancer was 68.7%, up from 63.9% in February. The target is 85%.

GPs in England made 254,594 urgent cancer referrals in March, up slightly from 253,025 in February but down year on year from 260,560 in March 2023.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins said: “NHS staff are working tirelessly to cut the waiting list and today’s data shows the biggest six-month reduction in over 10 years outside of the pandemic.

“This is a significant achievement in the context of record pressures and strikes, with NHS analysis showing the list could have fallen by an extra 430,000 since December 2022 without industrial action. We’ve also delivered our target of ensuring over 75% of patients tested for cancer receive a diagnosis or all clear within 28 days of referral – giving patients the all-clear or a diagnosis sooner.”