The latest NHS figures show a slight increase in the hospital backlog in England over the past month, with the waiting list reaching 7.57 million at the end of April, up from 7.54 million the previous month. This issue has been a significant focus in the election, as the prime minister made it one of his top five priorities for the government. Although there had been indications that the waiting list was decreasing, it remains lower than the September peak of 7.77 million. Over 300,000 people have been waiting for more than a year for treatment.
The increase in waits is not entirely unexpected, as the size of the waiting list has fluctuated monthly in the past. Modelling had predicted a period of stability in the waiting list after the rapid rises seen since the pandemic began. During the early weeks of the election campaign, Rishi Sunak claimed that the waiting list was decreasing.
Other areas of concern include missed waiting time targets for A&E and ambulance response times. According to Siva Anandaciva of the King’s Fund, the NHS is under “incredible pressure” despite spring and early summer being traditionally quieter times. He noted that current performance challenges would have been unimaginable ten years ago, emphasising the NHS’s importance in voter polls as the general election approaches. NHS England’s medical director, Prof Sir Stephen Powis, stated that demand remains high and warned that a five-day junior doctors’ strike at the end of the month could cause further disruptions.
Meanwhile, a report by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) highlighted that long waits for cancer care are becoming routine across the UK. Nearly half of all specialist cancer centres are experiencing delays most weeks. The survey, conducted in November 2023, included responses from senior managers at 60 specialist cancer centres across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The number of centres reporting severe delays has nearly doubled in a year. Delays in chemotherapy and other cancer drugs were reported by 47% of sites, up from 28% the previous year, while delays in radiotherapy nearly doubled from 22% in 2022 to 43% in 2023.
Workforce shortages are a significant factor causing these backlogs, with a 30% shortfall in radiologists and a 15% shortfall in clinical oncologists. Dr Katharine Halliday, RCR president, stated that the current number of doctors is insufficient to manage the increasing patient load safely, warning that the situation will worsen as demand rises and more doctors leave the NHS.
One Health Group PLC (AQSE:OHGR) are a team of Consultant Surgeons and Healthcare managers working with the NHS to provide faster, local and expert care in Orthopaedics, Spinal, General Surgery and Gynaecology.
