UK: NHS figures published recently show the total number of people waiting for consultant-led NHS hospital treatment has fallen for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 7.19 million on the list in November 2022.
This is a small drop from the previous month, October 2022, when there were 7.21 million people waiting for consultant-led hospital treatment. However, thanks to the efforts of NHS staff, some progress has been made reducing 18-month waits. This has dropped below 50,000, with 48,961 patients waiting 18 months (78 weeks) or more for consultant-led hospital treatment. The government’s Elective Recovery Plan has a target to eliminate NHS waits of over 18 months (78 weeks), by April 2023.
Professor Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said:
“There is a glimmer of good news in today’s data, thanks to the efforts of NHS staff, the number of long waits has come down. However, the total waiting list is still stuck at over 7 million. The task before us remains gargantuan.
