NHS ready listing hits new report excessive of 6.10 million

The NHS ready listing hit 6.1 million, a brand new excessive in January as practically 24,000 sufferers have been left ready for greater than two years for care.

The determine continues to develop and is up from 6.07m in December 2021.

There have been additionally 311,528 individuals ready greater than 52 weeks to begin therapy, up from 310,813 within the earlier month and a couple of per cent increased than the quantity in January 2021.

The Authorities and NHS England have set the ambition of eliminating all waits of greater than a yr by March 2025, whereas all wait of greater than two years ought to be eradicated by July 2022.

On Tuesday the federal government introduced sufferers ready the longest for surgical procedures could be contacted by the top of the month with choices to decide on a special hospital.

The Royal School of Surgeons mentioned Thursday’s figures counsel that 1,000 individuals a day will must be contacted to satisfy this ambition.

New figures on A&E waits for February confirmed simply 60.8 per cent of sufferers attending main emergency departments have been seen inside 4 hours – the bottom efficiency on report.

In the meantime 16,400 sufferers waited for greater than 12 hours in A&E in February, which was barely down in contrast January 2022, nonetheless greater than 16 occasions increased than February 2021.

Demand on emergency companies remained extraordinarily excessive with 1.8 million attendances in February – a rise of greater than 43 per cent in comparison with the identical interval in 2021.

The common response time final month for ambulances in England coping with essentially the most pressing incidents – outlined as calls from individuals with life-threatening sicknesses or accidents – was eight minutes and 51 seconds, NHS England figures present.

That is up from eight minutes and 31 seconds in January however is under the 9 minutes and 20 seconds recorded in October 2021, which was the longest common response time since present data started in August 2017.

On Wednesday NHS England printed proposals to scrap its goal for 93 per cent of individuals to been seen inside “two weeks” for an pressing most cancers referral and change it with a goal for 75 per cent of individuals to get a prognosis inside 28 days by 2024.

Earlier proposals have been for the goal to be 95 per cent, and charities corresponding to Breast Most cancers Now have mentioned they’re “deeply involved” concerning the watering down of this goal.

New knowledge on most cancers waits confirmed simply 75 per cent of sufferers referred urgently for suspected most cancers have been seen inside two weeks, down from 78 per cent in December 2021.

Based on the figures in January 2022, 63.8 per cent of individuals obtained a most cancers prognosis or advised they didn’t have most cancers inside 28 days of an pressing referrals. That is down from 70.5 per cent in December.

Commenting on the most recent month-to-month NHS hospital efficiency knowledge, Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst for suppose thank The King’s Fund mentioned the pressures on the the NHS have been “not regular”.

He mentioned: “NHS employees are working flat out to steadiness tackling the ready listing backlog with unrelenting stress throughout the well being system. However while restoration plans and initiatives up to now, corresponding to new surgical hubs and diagnostic centres, are useful, these are solely a part of the answer.

“The federal government’s guarantees to supply sufferers higher alternative over the place they obtain therapy and ambitions to cut back lengthy waits for care will ring hole if hospitals all through England proceed to flash purple.

“Employees shortages stay the rate-limiting issue within the authorities’s ambition to cut back the backlog. And not using a fully-funded workforce plan, key targets will proceed to be missed and folks will proceed wait longer for the care they want.”

On Tuesday in response to questions from The Impartial well being secretary Sajid Javid, mentioned there could be now new funding for the upcoming NHS workforce plan.

Wes Streeting MP, Labour’s shadow well being and social care secretary, mentioned: “File numbers of sufferers are pressured to attend unacceptable lengths of time, together with 24,000 who’ve been ready for therapy since earlier than the pandemic started. Below the Conservatives’ plans, sufferers can pay extra in tax however wait longer for care.”

NHS nationwide medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, mentioned: “Regardless of ongoing pressures our hardworking NHS employees delivered 280,000 extra assessments and checks for sufferers in January in comparison with the identical time final yr, and virtually 1.24 million began guide led therapy, as extra individuals proceed to return ahead for care who could have been reluctant to hunt assist throughout the pandemic.

“Employees throughout the nation are decided to deal with the Covid-19 backlogs that inevitably constructed up all through the pandemic, and whereas that can’t occur in a single day, these figures present that via initiatives like one cease outlets, Tremendous Saturdays, and high-intensity theatre lists, we’re delivering extra look after sufferers in comparison with the identical time final yr.”