192,000 patients waiting more than a year for planned surgery

NHS waiting time figures released today show that at the end of November 2020 more than 192,000 patients had been waiting more than a year for planned surgery. This is a significant and concerning increase from the 12 year high of 162,000 in October.

In response to the focus and dedication of health and care staff across the NHS, referral to treatment within the 18-week statutory target has improved, with 68.2% of patients being seen within the timeframe compared with 65.5% in October 2020.

The number of patients waiting for treatment to start is now 4.46m.

Responding to these figures Professor Ravi Mahajan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists said:

“Today’s figures are a stark reminder of the enormous impact the pandemic is having on planned procedures. With COVID admissions continuing to rise across the UK, the pressure being placed on the NHS’ limited resources of space, equipment and staff is now becoming overwhelming. The cost to the tens of thousands of patients with painful and debilitating conditions who will now be waiting years to receive treatment, is truly upsetting. We must invest more money into our NHS if we are to increase its resilience

“Our NHS staff, many of whom have been redeployed into already overstretched intensive care units, have also worked tirelessly over the summer to tackle the surgical backlog wherever possible. But, due to the significant increase in community transmissions of the virus during the Christmas period, focus needs to be on saving lives now in the ICU. We must remember that every statistic represents a patient getting increasingly ill and any further delays may directly impact chances of survival. The challenge of treating COVID has been significant, but the knock-on effects from increased waiting times will be even more devastating for patients and the NHS.

“While the vaccine is a light on the horizon, we still have a long road ahead. We know how hard the past year has been and increasingly strict guidelines are tough on many. However, it has never been more important for the public to remain focused on playing their part in stopping this virus. Lowering the number of COVID admissions through the public’s obeyance of the hands, face, space rules, taking a free test, and staying at home, will help the NHS staff reduce waiting lists and potentially save thousands of lives.”