The head of the NHS in England has hailed the ‘great strides’ the health service is making, as new figures show major improvements across long waits, urgent and emergency services, and cancer care.
- Number of patients waiting more than 18 months fell to 10,737 by April – down by more than 90% from 124,911 in September 2021 and by more than four-fifths since the start of January when there were 54,882.
- Ambulance response times improved significantly with average category two response times now at 28.5 minutes and category one at 8 mins – both the lowest in almost two years.
Since the start of February last year, more than 2 million people who would otherwise have breached 18 months have been treated as NHS England continues to tackle the backlog caused by the pandemic. Those waiting two months or more down from 21,823 at the end of the last financial year (March 2022) to 19,248 at the end of this March (2023). This is down almost 15,000 from a peak of 34,000 in July 2022.
The figure fell by over 900 per week on average through the first three months of 2023, despite urgent suspected cancer referrals continuing to run at record high levels for the last two years. Separate operational data showed huge progress on the NHS Elective Recovery Plan’s target to virtually eliminate those waiting 18-months or more for elective treatment by April.
Despite record winter pressures, half (49.6%) of NHS providers had no remaining waiters other than those who had chosen to wait longer or need complex surgery. More than one in five (21%) NHS providers had completely eliminated 18-month waits.
Over two-fifths (41%) of those still waiting a year and a half had been offered treatment elsewhere but chose to wait or need complex surgeries, such as corneal transplants and spinal surgery. Almost half (48%) of the remaining waiters are concentrated in 10 NHS trusts.
The progress on the backlog came as the NHS was hit by the most disruptive industrial action in its history, with around 500,000 hospital appointments postponed since the start of December. Almost 200,000 appointments were affected during just the four days of junior doctor strike action in April. The NHS also delivered a record number of diagnostic tests and checks in March (2.3 million) – up more than 128,000 on the previous monthly record.
Commenting, Leo Docherty MP said:
"The NHS Elective Recovery Plan, published last year, is slashing the numbers waiting the longest for care, with 18-month wait down more than 90% on their peak.
"Thanks to the hard work and dedication of healthcare staff, backed by up to £14.1 billion over the next two years on top of record Government funding, the ongoing efforts of the NHS is delivering patients the care they need more quickly.”