Leading surgeons have welcomed the new government and said they hope that work starts immediately to help NHS staff address unacceptably high waiting lists in England. The latest performance data shows that the NHS waiting list for consultant-led hospital treatment in England rose to 7,603,812 in May 2024.
The latest data also shows just 59% of patients waited under 18 weeks to start consultant-led NHS hospital treatment, missing the 92% target. The new government has pledged to clear this backlog within five years. Some patients are on multiple pathways. The number of unique patients is estimated to be around 6.4 million, according to NHS England. The latest data reveals that waits of over a year stood at over 307,500 in May 2024.
Professor Vivien Lees, Senior Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: “The new government has a tough road ahead to cut NHS waiting times as promised. Patients, hundreds of thousands of whom have been on waiting lists for months and even years, will be hopeful plans for the NHS, outlined during the election, will be put into action quickly.
"If we are to get the NHS back on its feet and deliver the extra operations, scans and appointments the government has pledged, we will need significant investment in capacity. This includes expanding the surgical and medical workforce and establishing more surgical hubs. Surgeons are ready to work with the new Government to get patients the care they deserve.”
RCS England has called on the new Government to commit to a £6.4 billion annual capital funding increase to upgrade existing NHS estates and build surgical capacity.
Professor Lees added: “We recognise that the new government will have some tough budget decisions to make, and economic growth is required to help raise significant tax revenues. However, without investment in staff and operating theatres, progress on waiting lists will be slow. We are pleased to see the new government's focus on valuing and retaining NHS staff. They must now set out more detail on how they will support the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.”
