Record high hospital waiting list in England as 5.1 million need treatment
The number of people waiting for routine hospital treatment has topped five million – the highest number ever recorded.
In total 5,122,017 million people were waiting to begin treatment at the end of April, 2021, NHS England figures show – the highest number since records began in August 2007.
The figure has increased every month since May 2020, when it was 3.83 million people.
It means the number of people having to wait longer than 52 weeks to start treatment is around 35 times higher than those waiting a year earlier.
The surge in NHS waiting lists comes amid warnings staff face burnout
Just over 11,000 people had to wait more than a year to begin treatment in April 2020.
But in April this year the number stood at 385,490 – down from 436,127 in the previous month.
It comes days after MPs warned NHS and social care staff burnout has reached an “emergency” level and poses a risk to the future of services – as former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said healthcare staff are facing “unacceptable pressure” at work.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is this morning being grilled by MPs over the government’s response to the pandemic after former Downing Street advisor, Dominic Cummings, said he should have been fired for his handling of the crisis.
Mr Hancock hit back by saying: “You can’t respond to a pandemic by pointing fingers”.
Matt Hancock is being questioned by MPs over the government’s handling of the pandemic
The longest waits were for treatments like knee or hip replacements.
People with arthritis are “bearing the brunt” of the covid crisis said Tracey Loftis, head of policy and public affairs at charity Versus Arthritis.
“It is critical that people with arthritis are not left struggling in pain with their lives put on hold,” Ms Loftis said.
“As longer waits lead to more severe joint damage and reduce the chance of future operations being successful, this issue becomes even more unacceptable.”
Brenda, 61, from Petersfield, has been waiting more than a year for a double hip replacement.
She’s put her house on the market because climbing the stairs is such a struggle.
She told Sky News: “I haven’t left my house for a year now, apart from going to my hospital appointments.
“I’ve been told I’m definitely still on the waiting list for surgery, but they can’t give me any indication of a timeline. They just leave you hanging, thinking what am I going to do with my life?”
People in need of hip or knee replacement operations face long delays for treatment
Almost 210,000 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in April 2021 – more than double the 80,031 made a year earlier, the NHS England data showed.
The equivalent figure for April 2019 was 199,217.
And just over 64% of patients are being treated within the government’s 18 week target.
Prior to the pandemic, this number was around 83% – 90% but plunged to a low of 46.8% last July, at the end of the first COVID-19 wave.
It has been around 65% for most of this year.
Meanwhile A&E hospital admissions in England have risen 65% compared to a year ago, NHS England said – but this is said to be a reflection of lower than usual numbers for May 2020 due to the pandemic.
A total of 2.08 million attendances were recorded in May 2021, up from 1.26 million in May 2020.
The equivalent figure for May 2019, a non-pandemic year, was 2.17 million.
The Bishop of Liverpool has announced his retirement days after facing allegations of misconduct from two women, including another bishop.
One woman said the Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath kissed her without consent and groped her, while the second accused him of sexual harassment.
The bishop has vehemently denied the allegations – and in his retirement letter, published online on Thursday, he reiterated his denial.
The letter, shared by the Diocese of Liverpool, read: “Having sought the permission of His Majesty the King, I have today taken the decision to retire from active ministry in the Church of England.”
Addressing the accusations, he continued: “Since those allegations were made I have consistently maintained that I have not done anything wrong and continue to do so.
“I do not wish this story to become a distraction for this incredible diocese and its people whom it has been an honour and joy to serve,” the bishop says in his letter.
“This is not a resignation occasioned by fault or by any admission of liability.”
The exact date for when the bishop’s role will formally end is yet to be decided, but he is stepping back from ministering and leading the diocese as of Thursday.
The letter continued: “I have taken this decision for my own well-being, my family and the best interests of the Diocese.
“I have informed the Archbishop of York of my decision and I understand he will put in place the necessary arrangements for episcopal oversight of the diocese for the remainder of my time here and during the vacancy.”
Bishop Perumbalath has insisted his retirement is not an admission of guilt
The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell – who has faced calls to resign over separate safeguarding failures – said: “I respect his decision and thank him for his ministry.”
“My thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those who have been affected by this situation,” he continued. “I am committed to ensuring stability during this time of transition and will be putting the necessary arrangements in place to provide episcopal oversight for the diocese.”
An acting bishop will be announced in the coming days.
The Archbishop of York (pictured) has welcomed the decision – which comes at a tumultuous time for the Church of England
The diocese – which on Wednesday pressured the bishop to step aside – said in a statement: “We acknowledge his decision in taking this step for the good of the Diocese of Liverpool.
“This is a deeply painful situation, and we hold all concerned in our prayers.”
The misconduct allegations were reported by Channel 4 earlier this week but the first dates back to 2023, the Church of England confirmed.
It said: “The complaint was looked into according to statutory safeguarding guidance… and an independent risk assessment undertaken.
“This process concluded that there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns, but a learning outcome was identified with which the bishop fully engaged.”
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A “further disclosure was made by another woman” shortly after, the Church said. This was “assessed not to be a safeguarding matter but a matter of alleged misconduct,” it added.
Bishop Perumbalath’s resignation comes at a tumultuous time for the Church of England, which has recently seen Justin Welby quit as Archbishop of Canterbury over the handling of another case.
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