Responding to the latest NHS performance data from NHS England, Nuffield Trust Acting Director of Research Dr Sarah Scobie said:
“Yet another month of hitting a record high for the NHS waiting list will be very worrying for the government and shows it is moving in the opposite direction from its ambition to bring down waiting lists by 2025.
“Despite a pledge to eliminate waits of a year and a half for patients for routine but often life-changing surgery, the numbers having waited 18 months or more grew in April. Even more worrying is the scale and speed at which the overall waiting list continues to grow, with nearly half a million patients added over the last five months alone.
“The NHS and its staff are throwing more and more resources at recovering the backlog as the summer months approach, but challenges, including industrial action and staff absences, make keeping up with the weight of demand incredibly difficult.”
Notes to editors
1. The latest monthly performance figures from NHS England can be found at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/
2. The Nuffield Trust is an independent health think tank. We aim to improve the quality of health care in the UK by providing evidence-based research and policy analysis and informing and generating debate www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk
3. For all queries or to arrange an interview, contact: Simon Keen: 07780 475571 / simon.keen@nuffieldtrust.org.uk; or Eleanor Martin: 07920 043676 / eleanor.martin@nuffieldtrust.org.uk