The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has increased for the second month in a row, according to the latest figures. At the end of May, an estimated 7.6 million treatments were pending, involving 6.38 million patients. This is a slight increase from the 7.57 million treatments and 6.33 million patients recorded at the end of April. The list had previously reached a peak of 7.77 million treatments and 6.5 million patients in September 2023, but the numbers had been gradually decreasing until the recent uptick.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who assumed his position following Labour’s landslide victory in the recent general election, announced an investigation into the NHS’s performance. The aim is to “diagnose the problem” and find solutions. Streeting has appointed former health minister Lord Ara Darzi to lead the investigation, seeking an honest assessment of the NHS’s current state.
Streeting, writing for The Sun, emphasised the need for honesty and accountability. He stated that unlike the previous government, his administration will not make excuses or blame NHS staff, who are dedicated to their patients. The investigation’s goal is to provide a comprehensive and candid report on the NHS’s challenges.
In addition to the rising waiting list, the latest NHS figures reveal that 4,597 patients had been waiting more than 18 months for routine treatment by the end of May, down from 5,013 in April. The previous government had aimed to eliminate waits of more than 18 months by April 2023, with exceptions for complex cases or patient preferences.
However, the number of patients waiting over 65 weeks to start treatment increased to 55,955 at the end of May, up from 50,397 in April. The target to eliminate these extended waits has been moved from March 2024 to September 2024.
Ambulance response times for the most urgent incidents also saw a slight increase in June, with an average response time of eight minutes and 21 seconds, up from eight minutes and 16 seconds in May. This remains above the target standard of seven minutes.
On a positive note, the number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E from the decision to admit to actual admission decreased to 38,106 in June from 42,555 in May. Despite this, a report from the Nuffield Trust think tank highlights that progress in tackling waiting lists has stagnated, and long waits continue to be a pervasive issue in the NHS.
The rising waiting lists and other delays in the NHS have prompted a comprehensive investigation by the new health secretary, aiming to address the ongoing challenges within the healthcare system.
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