An analysis suggests that at the current rate of patient treatment, it would take Labour 40 years to meet its target for reducing NHS waiting lists, a goal the government aims to achieve by March 2029. The current waiting list stands at 7.27 million people, and the target requires it to fall to approximately 3.5 million, necessitating a reduction of 114,000 patients per month.
However, official NHS England figures indicate that over the past year, the waiting list has only decreased by an average of 7,962 patients per month, despite significant funding. This pace suggests a 40-year timeline to reach the target of 3.5 million, far exceeding the remaining three years the government has to achieve it.
Stuart Andrew, the Conservative shadow health secretary, criticized Labour's approach, stating that the projected 40-year timeline for meeting their own target demonstrates a significant shortfall. He argued that Labour is prioritizing headline-grabbing over tangible action to reduce waiting lists and called for immediate action to address the crisis.
In March, 110,000 individuals were removed from the waiting list, allowing then-health secretary Wes Streeting to claim an interim target of treating 65 percent of patients within 18 weeks by the end of that month. This was reportedly achieved through temporary 'sprint' funding for hospitals to increase operations and bonuses for deleting patients from lists who were deemed to have died, sought private care, or no longer required treatment.
Health experts, however, warned that these methods were unsustainable. Their concerns were validated when waiting lists subsequently increased by 172,000 over the following two months. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King's Fund think tank, noted that the progress seen in March was fragile and unlikely to be sustained, especially with fewer resources available to NHS trusts after the 'sprint' funding ended.
As of the latest available data in June, 65.8 percent of patients began hospital treatment within 18 weeks of referral. The number of patients waiting over a year for treatment saw a slight increase to 105,711, while those waiting 18 months or longer decreased slightly to 1,099.
In July, A&E attendances reached a record 2.5 million, partly due to two heatwaves. Despite this, 75.4 percent of A&E patients were seen within four hours, an improvement from June. The number of patients experiencing long waits of over 12 hours from the decision to admit to actual admission fell to 47,438. On average, 3,028 patients per day in July received corridor care, meaning they were not in a clinically appropriate and safe setting.
Health secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the extraordinary efforts of NHS staff during a challenging summer and emphasized the need for the health service to plan for summer pressures similarly to winter pressures. She highlighted that despite record demand, key performance indicators were met, and a record number of diagnostic tests were conducted in July. Cooper stated that the figures also underscore the additional burden placed on the NHS during extreme heat.
Dr. Ragit Varia, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine, commented on the continuous strain on the NHS, stating, "From permawinter to permaheat, there is no longer a quiet season for the NHS."