NHS waiting lists hit an all-time high
31 Aug 2023 | Jodi Newton
England’s NHS waiting lists have hit the highest number since 2007, reaching a record number of 7.47 million people who are waiting to start routine hospital treatments with nearly 400,000 people waiting for over a year to start treatment. Whilst this may come as no surprise after the pandemic and long-standing staff shortages, this news also comes as junior doctors engaged in their walkout over pay and the longest period of industrial action in the history of the NHS.
Many people have been on the waiting lists for over a year waiting for operations, with some waiting for three years for routine orthopaedic operations. This also consists of over 300,000 people with heart problems, and nearly half of these patients have been waiting for nearly five months for procedures such as tests and CT scans or transplants and stents. The British Heart Foundation have noted that these delays represent a substantial risk for those waiting for procedures, as thousands of extra deaths relating to heart disease have sadly occurred since the pandemic began, and the waiting list for heart-related treatment is thought to be a contributor.
Those who are waiting to be diagnosed with cancer are also suffering – having to wait for a cancer diagnosis delays the start of cancer treatment, and therefore reduces the chances of surviving cancer. NHS data experts found that there could be 25,000 people on the waiting list with cancer.
Over a third of the overall waiting list consists of children, waiting for treatments ranging from dental work to tests relating to breathing difficulties. Whilst these children are waiting for their treatment and tests, they are living day-to-day with symptoms of their illnesses which can encroach on their education, with many children missing school.
Many patients are giving up on these lengthy waiting lists, with some opting for private health care or some having to sadly live with their illnesses and ailments. The UK Government has promised to eliminate all wait lists of over a year by March 2025.
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