Despite progress, still a mountain to climb on waiting lists

Commenting on the publication today of the NHS monthly performance statistics, Tim Gardner, Assistant Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said: 

‘Today’s statistics show the NHS has made further progress in improving waiting times but still has a mountain to climb, with patients enduring unacceptably long waits for care and continued intense pressures on front-line staff. 

‘For the fourth month in a row, there has been a slight drop in the waiting list. The waiting list for routine hospital care now stands at 7.58 million, with more than 321,000 people waiting longer than a year. Urgent and emergency care continues to feel the strain, with more than 44,000 patients spending over 12 hours in A&E departments waiting for a bed last month – far more than in the years before the pandemic. 

‘There is no silver bullet for improving the NHS. The extra £3.4bn earmarked for technological improvements in last week’s Budget was welcome but this won’t kick in until 2025/26. The government will need to go much further if it is to make meaningful improvements in patient and staff experience. This means consistent, long-term focused action to realise the ambitions set out in the NHS workforce plan and support staff to improve care and increase productivity.’ 

Media contact

Nick Codling
Nick.Codling@health.org.uk
020 8152 8116