NHS waiting list hits record 7.3 million people in England

Rishi Sunak made cutting waiting lists one of his priorities for 2023 – but the numbers are still growing

(Jeff Moore/PA) (PA Wire)

The number of people in England waiting to start hospital treatment rose to a new high in March with the backlog at a record 7.3 million patients, new NHS data shows.

This is up from 7.2 million in February and is the highest number since records began in August 2007.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists one of his priorities for 2023, pledging in January that “lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly”.

The latest data shows the government’s target to virtually eliminate the number of people waiting for more than 78 weeks by April was missed by 11,161 people in March. However, this was down from 29,778 at the end of February.

NHS England said 41 per cent of those waiting a year and a half for care had chosen to wait or needed complex surgeries, such as corneal transplants and spinal surgery.

Almost half of those on the 18-month waiting list are in 10 NHS trust areas.

It comes as The Independent revealed months of internal warnings from the NHS over the growing backlog in children’s services. NHS data today reveals 403,000 children are waiting for routine care, which is a record high.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals in England, said: “Yet again the figures lay bare the effects of mounting pressure on overstretched NHS services after one of the toughest ever winters and point to very tough challenges ahead.

“While very long waits have been bought down, more people are joining the waiting list which is now at a record high of 7.3 million, reflecting the fact that demand is high and rising.”

He said the care backlog pre-dates NHS strikes and the pandemic, which put further strain on services, due to “years of under-investment right across the NHS” and called for the government to publish its long-awaited long-term workforce plan.

While waiting lists figures soared, the NHS saw improved A&E waiting times in March, with the number of people waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit them to hospital to admission, down from 144,308 in March to 113,437 in April.

New data on the total time patients waited in A&E shows 126,000 waited more than 12 hours from arrival in emergency departments for either admission, transfer, or discharge.

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said: “The great strides the NHS is making on long waits, urgent and emergency care, and cancer services in the face of incredible pressure is testimony to the hard work, drive, and innovation of frontline colleagues.

“Since we first published the NHS Elective Recovery Plan last year, we have slashed the numbers waiting the longest for care with 18-month waits down more than 90 per cent on their peak...and thanks to record numbers of tests and checks, the cancer backlog has fallen year on year for the first time since the start of the pandemic.”