NHS England waiting list hits record high as 7.6m on hold for routine treatment

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2023

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The number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has hit a record high.

An estimated 7.68 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of July, up from 7.57 million in June.

It is the highest number since records began in August 2007 and marks the eighth consecutive month of increases.

It comes as the government said the NHS will receive an extra £200m this winter.

Figures also showed a total of 389,952 people in England had been waiting more than a year – and around 7,289 people more than 18 months – to start routine hospital treatment at the end of July.

This is up from 383,083 – and 7,177 – at the end of June, respectively.

The government and NHS England set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than 18 months by April this year, excluding exceptionally complex cases or patients who choose to wait longer – and all waits of more than a year by March 2025.

Cancer waiting times

Around 263,696 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in July, up 1% on 261,006 in June and up 10% year-on-year from 239,739 in July 2022.

The proportion of cancer patients who saw a specialist within two weeks of being referred fell from 80.5% in June to 77.5% in July – below the target of 93%, which is being dropped from October.

There was some improvement for cancer waiting times. In July, 37% of those starting treatment received their urgent referral more than two months prior, down from 41% in June and from 38% in July 2022.

That is down significantly from the worst-ever performance of 45% in January, though still significantly above pre-pandemic levels (21% in August 2019).

Meanwhile, 74.1% of patients urgently referred for suspected cancer were diagnosed or had cancer ruled out within 28 days, up from 73.5% the previous month. The target is 75%.

Ambulance response times

Further data revealed it took ambulances an average of 31.5 minutes to respond to Category 2 incidents – such as heart attacks and strokes – in August.

This was a slight improvement compared to July (31.8 minutes) and a big improvement compared to August 2022 (42.6 minutes).

However, it is still significantly worse than before the pandemic. In Aug 2019, the equivalent response time was just 21.3 minutes, and in Aug 2018 it was 20.6 minutes.

A&E performance

The number of people waiting more than 12 hours in A&E departments in England from a decision to admit to actually being admitted was 28,859 in August, up 21% from 23,934 in July.

The figure hit a record 54,573 in December 2022.

The number waiting at least four hours from the decision to admit to admission also went up, from 109,515 in July to 120,120 in August, an increase of 10%.

Analysis: Unless pay disputes are resolved – NHS waiting lists will keep rising

There are gains that will give much encouragement to health leaders: more urgent GP referrals (263,696) for cancer than any other July. And a slight improvement for ambulance waiting times in August when it took crews an average of 31.5 minutes to respond to Category 2 incidents (e.g. heart attacks and strokes).

That’s a slight improvement compared to July (31.8 minutes) and a big improvement compared to August 2022.

There has been a slight fall in the longest waiting times too. The number of people enduring waits of more than two years has fallen slightly, from 314 to 277.

And all of this against the backdrop of the busiest summer on record for the NHS in England with higher seasonal A&E attendances than ever before.

But it’s not all good news. The number on the list who have been waiting more than 18 months (72 weeks) has risen slightly, from 7,177 to 7,289. And the total number waiting more than 18 weeks is up from 3.09 million to 3.18 million.

And the headline figure that will dominate coverage is the record 7.68 million waiting for elective care. This figure has never been higher.

The prime minister will say his key pledge to bring down this waiting list is being undermined by strikes. And to some extent he is right.

More than 800,000 people have seen their routine care delayed because of eight months of strikes.

The nurses dispute has been resolved but junior doctors and their consultant colleagues will continue their strikes possibly long into winter. And for the first time they will strike together next week.

That will effectively bring the NHS to a grinding halt.

Unless this dispute is resolved the numbers will keep rising.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists one of his priorities for 2023, pledging in January that “lists will fall and people will get the care they need more quickly”.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting MP said: “Record numbers of patients are waiting for healthcare and they are left waiting unacceptably long, whether it’s for an operation, ambulance, or in A&E. For millions of patients across England, the NHS is no longer there for them when they need it.”

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: “Today’s figures show that despite ongoing pressures across the NHS, including record demand for emergency care this summer, and an increase in COVID cases during July and August, NHS staff are continuing to deliver for patients.

“Category 2 ambulance response times are more than 10 minutes faster than a year ago, and significant progress continues to be made to bring down the longest waits for elective care despite months of disruption from industrial action.”

UK

MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace steps down as Kirsty Wark among 13 who claim he made inappropriate sexual jokes

Published

39 mins ago

November 28, 2024

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MasterChef's Gregg Wallace steps down as Kirsty Wark among 13 who claim he made inappropriate sexual jokes

MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has stepped down over allegations he made a series of inappropriate sexual comments on a range of programmes over 17 years.

Broadcaster Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have made claims, with Wallace being investigated by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK.

In an interview with the BBC, the Newsnight presenter, who was a celebrity contestant on MasterChef in 2011, claimed Wallace used “sexualised language”.

“There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if it was anyone engaged with this,” Wark said.

“It was completely one-way traffic. I think people were uncomfortable and something that I really didn’t expect to happen.”

Sky News has contacted Wallace’s representative for comment.

‘Fully cooperating’

Banijay UK said the complaints were made to the BBC this week by “individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with Gregg Wallace on one of our shows”.

The company said the 60-year-old, who has been a co-presenter and judge of the popular cooking show since 2005, was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.

“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate,” the company said.

“While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.

“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.

“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”

A BBC spokesman said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.

“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.

“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”

Previous investigation

Last month, Wallace responded to reports that a previous BBC review had found he could continue working at the corporation following reports of an alleged incident in 2018 when he appeared on Impossible Celebrities.

Wallace said those claims had been investigated “promptly” at the time and said he had not said “anything sexual” while appearing on the game show more than half a decade ago.

In an Instagram post following an article in The Sun newspaper, he wrote: “The story that’s hitting the newspapers was investigated promptly when it happened six years ago by the BBC.

“And the outcome of that was that I hadn’t said anything sexual. I’ll need to repeat this again. I didn’t say anything sexual.”

Alongside MasterChef, Wallace presented Inside The Factory for BBC Two from 2015.

Wallace has featured on various BBC shows over the years, including Saturday Kitchen, Eat Well For Less, Supermarket Secrets, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, as well as being a Strictly Come Dancing contestant in 2014.

He was made an MBE for services to food and charity last year.

Recorded episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace will be transmitted as planned, the PA news agency understands.

UK

Every pensioner in Scotland to receive winter fuel payment next year

Published

39 mins ago

November 28, 2024

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Every pensioner in Scotland to receive winter fuel payment next year

The Scottish government has announced that all pensioners in Scotland will receive a winter fuel payment in 2025/26.

The devolved benefit is expected to come into force by next winter and will help the estimated 900,000 people north of the border who were cut off from accessing the winter fuel payment which used to be universal.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville announced the news in a statement to the Scottish parliament on Thursday.

It comes after both the UK and Scottish governments earlier this year axed the universal winter fuel payment, except for those in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits.

At Westminster, Chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed the decision was made due to financial woes inherited from the previous Conservative government.

Ms Reeves said the restriction would save the Treasury around £1.4bn this financial year.

The decision led to the Scottish government – which was due to take control over a similar payment through the devolved Social Security Scotland but has since announced a delay – to follow suit.

The payment is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland, however the SNP government said Labour’s approach would cause up to a £160m cut to Scottish funding in 2024-25.

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UK

Officers investigated over death of teenager with autism who escaped police car on M5

Published

1 hour ago

November 28, 2024

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Officers investigated over death of teenager with autism who escaped police car on M5

Two police officers have been served with misconduct notices after a teenager with autism escaped from a police car and died on the M5.

Tamzin Hall, from Wellington, was hit by a car on the M5 between junction 25 at Taunton and 24 at Bridgwater shortly after 11pm on 11 November and sustained fatal injuries.

She had been under arrest at the time and was travelling in an Avon and Somerset Police car which had stopped on the motorway, an inquest at Wells Town Hall heard on Tuesday.

Tamzin was being taken to custody when officers pulled over for “safety reasons”, the Independent Office for Police Conduct said.

She had been handcuffed with her hands in front of her and had an officer sat beside her, the IOPC added.

She fled the stationary marked police car on the northbound carriageway and died after she was hit by a car on the southbound carriageway.

In a statement the IOPC said the two officers from Avon and Somerset Police had been served misconduct notices for a “potential breach of their duties and responsibilities”.

Such notices advise officers their conduct is subject to an investigation, but does not necessarily mean any disciplinary proceedings will follow.

IOPC regional director David Ford said: “My thoughts and sympathies remain with Tamzin’s family and friends, and everyone affected by the tragic events of that evening.

“We have met with Tamzin’s family to offer our condolences and to outline how our investigation will progress. We will provide them with regular updates as our inquiries continue.

“Our investigation is in the early stages and we are working hard to establish the exact circumstances of what took place, from the time of Tamzin’s arrest, to how events unfolded a short time later on the M5.”

The IOPC began its investigation earlier this month and is looking into what contact the police had with Tamzin prior to her death, including their actions, decision-making and risk assessments of the situation, and whether these followed the relevant training and policies.

Mother pays tribute to ‘very special’ daughter

Speaking after the hearing on Tuesday, Tamzin’s mother Amy Hall paid tribute to her “very special” daughter, who she said had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

“Tamzin was the most kindest, caring, loving, loyal girl ever. She was the most honest person I’ve ever known; she was very special to me,” she said.

“She had a great sense of humour, and we had many laughs together.”

She added: “Tamzin was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, so she was unique and saw the world in such a different way.

“Tamzin was my absolute everything and I can’t believe she isn’t here any more. She was my world.”

She said: “She was only 17 but she has taught me a lot and I can use that memory and hold on to that.

“I will never ever get over it, she was taken far too young.”

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