The latest NHS performance data (published 14 December) shows the number of referrals to treatment (RTT) pathways where a patient was waiting to start planned consultant-led treatment has fallen by just over 41,000 to 7.71 million.
There were 7,705,539 RTT pathways at the end of October 2023. Some patients are on multiple pathways. NHS England estimates the number of unique patients is around 6.5 million. Patients will be waiting for treatment ranging from gallbladder removals to hip replacements and surgery to remove cancerous tumours.
This month’s data also shows that there were 107,433 pathways where a patient was waiting more than 65 weeks to start planned treatment. This is a small fall from 108,990 in September 2023. The Government’s target is to eliminate all waits of over 65 weeks by the end of March 2024.
Professor Fiona Myint, Senior Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “This small fall will be heartening to NHS staff who have been working incredibly hard to reduce waiting lists, all in extremely difficult circumstances. Hospitals across England have faced a constant barrage of high demand for services, chronic staff shortages, and industrial action this year.
“As it stands, the target to eliminate waits of over 65 weeks by the end of March 2024 will still be difficult to achieve. This means more patients waiting longer in the sort of pain and discomfort that prevents them from doing day-to-day tasks or, in some cases, working. Those who endure the longest waits may also see their condition deteriorate and eventually require surgery that is more complex.
“As we go deeper in the relentless winter period, staff wellbeing and retention have to be at the forefront of plans to tackle the rising backlog. The Government also needs to continue to invest in surgical capacity to help get the health service back on track to seeing and treating patients in the timely manner they deserve.”
