What do the latest NHS performance figures show?
A&E times are the worst on record, while the overall waiting list is at a new all-time high.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Here are the key figures from the latest data on the performance of the NHS in England:
– Overall waiting list
The number of people waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to a new record high.
A total of 7.1 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September, according to NHS England figures.
This is up from 7.0 million at the end of August and from 5.8 million in September 2021.
It is the highest number since records began in August 2007.
– Waits of more than two years
There were 2,239 people waiting more than two years to start treatment at the end of September.
This is down slightly from 2,646 at the end of August.
The number peaked at 23,778 in January 2022.
The Government and NHS England set the ambition to eliminate all waits of more than two years, except when it is the patient’s choice or for complex cases requiring specialist treatment, by July this year.
– Waits of more than a year
The number of people having to wait longer than 52 weeks to start hospital treatment was 401,537 in September, up from 387,257 the previous month.
It is the equivalent of around one in 18 people on the entire waiting list.
The Government and NHS England have set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than a year by March 2025.
– Hospital admissions
The number of people admitted for routine treatment in hospitals in England in September was 280,872 – up 11% from a year earlier (252,930).
The equivalent figure for September 2019, a non-pandemic year, was 288,230.
– A&E waits
A record 43,792 people had to wait more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England in October from a decision to admit to actually being admitted.
The figure is up 34% from 32,776 in September and is the highest for any calendar month in records going back to August 2010.
A total of 150,922 people waited at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission in October, up from 131,861 the previous month – again, a new record.
Some 69.3% of patients in England were seen within four hours of arrival at A&Es last month, down from 71.0% in September and the lowest figure on record.
The operational standard states that at least 95% of patients attending A&E should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, but this has not been met nationally since 2015.
– Ambulance response times
The average response time in October for ambulances in England outside London dealing with the most urgent incidents, defined as calls from people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries, was nine minutes and 56 seconds.
The target standard response time for urgent incidents is seven minutes.
Ambulances outside London took an average of one hour, one minute and 19 seconds last month to respond to emergency calls such as burns, epilepsy and strokes – well above the target of 18 minutes.
Response times for urgent calls, such as late stages of labour, non-severe burns and diabetes, averaged three hours, 34 minutes and 34 seconds.
Data for London is not available.
– Cancer referrals
The proportion of patients seeing a cancer specialist within two weeks of being referred by a GP in September was 72.6%, down from 75.6% in August and the lowest figure since records began in October 2009.
Some 67.2% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, down from 69.5% the previous month.
The elective recovery plan sets a goal of 75% of patients who have been urgently referred by their GP for suspected cancer to be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days by March 2024.
Meanwhile 251,977 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in September.
This is down from 255,055 referrals in August, but up from 231,296 in September 2021.
– Cancelled operations
Some 19,439 routine NHS operations (1% of the total) were cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons in July to September of this year.
This is up from 17,579 last-minute cancellations in the previous three months, which was also 1% of the total.
More than one in five (21%) of patients who had operations cancelled in July-September 2022 had to wait longer than 28 days for rescheduled treatment.
This is down from 24% for April-June 2022, but is well above the pre-pandemic level of 9% in October to December 2019.
– Diagnostic tests
More than 460,000 people in England had been waiting longer than six weeks for a key diagnostic test in September.
Some 463,930 patients, 30% of the total, were waiting longer than six weeks for one of 15 standard tests, including an MRI scan, non-obstetric ultrasound or gastroscopy.
The equivalent number in September 2021 was 369,207 (26% of the total).
The NHS elective recovery plan sets the ambition that 95% of patients needing a diagnostic test receive it within six weeks by March 2025.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.