The NHS waiting list for treatment remains high, with millions of people left in pain or unable to work. Figures from NHS England reveal that the waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England stayed unchanged in March, with an estimated 7.54 million treatments pending, the same as in February. The list hit a record high in September 2023.
While there has been success in the number of people seen for cancer diagnoses, the number of people waiting over a year for treatment has risen. Siva Anandaciva from the King’s Fund noted improvements in cancer care but highlighted the long road ahead to improve performance in other NHS areas. In March, 77% of people had their cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral, surpassing the 75% target. However, A&E departments continue to face extreme strain, with over 2.2 million attendances in April and only 74% of patients being seen within four hours.
Anandaciva criticised successive governments for failing to invest in services and maintaining NHS infrastructure. March’s data showed 68.7% of patients in England waited no longer than 62 days from an urgent suspected cancer referral to their first definitive treatment, up from 63.9% in February but still below the 85% target. GP urgent cancer referrals increased slightly in March.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, praised NHS staff for achieving the biggest six-month reduction in the waiting list in over 10 years, despite record pressures and strikes. The figures also showed a slight increase in the number of people waiting over 52 weeks for treatment. The target to eliminate all waits of over 65 weeks has been moved to September 2024.
Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, criticised the government for failing to meet its pledge on waiting times, accusing them of worsening the NHS crisis. Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper, also condemned the government’s handling of the NHS.
NHS Providers’ chief executive, Sir Julian Hartley, welcomed the progress in cancer diagnosis but expressed concern over the high elective waiting list. NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, highlighted the hard work of NHS staff amidst significant demand and a challenging recovery journey.
Nearly 43,000 incidences of people waiting for treatment were likely excluded from the March waiting list figures due to a reporting change, with treatments by community services no longer included in the data.
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