NHS England waiting list for routine treatment hits record high of 7,680,000

File photo dated 18/01/23 of a general view of staff on a NHS hospital ward. The NHS still relies heavily on paper notes, with experts warning they are not as safe or efficient as electronic records. It comes after a survey by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found the majority of NHS trusts are still using paper, despite 88% of all trusts in England being equipped with electronic patient record (EPR) systems. Of 182 trusts, 4% said they only use paper notes, while 25% are fully electronic. Some 71% use both paper and an EPR system. Issue date: Thursday September 14, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story HEALTH Paper. Photo credit should read: Jeff Moore/PA Wire
Waiting times are now at an all-time record high with millions waiting for routine treatment (Picture: PA)

The number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to a new 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, NHS England said.

It is the highest number since records began in August 2007.

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’.

Some 7,289 people in England are estimated to have been waiting more than 18 months to start routine hospital treatment at the end of July, up from 7,177 at the end of June.

How long have you been waiting for a hospital appointment? Let us know your thoughts and email your stories to liam.coleman@metro.co.uk

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.

 total of 389,952 people in England had been waiting more than 52 weeks to start routine hospital treatment at the end of July, up from 383,083 at the end of June.

LONDON - SEPTEMBER 26: An elderly gentleman walks past a hospital sign on September 26, 2007 in London, England. In a report to be released September 27, 2007 the Healthcare Commission outlines care by the NHS Trust should provide further dignity in care to the elderly. (Photo by Cate Gillon/Getty Images)
The amount of patients waiting has risen month on month (Picture: Getty)

The Government and NHS England have set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than a year by March 2025.

Some 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 urgently by their GP fell from 80.5% in June to 77.5% in July, remaining below the target of 93%.

The 93% figure is one of several cancer targets that are being discontinued from October, as part of an agreement by the Government and NHS England to streamline performance standards.

The number of patients in England waiting longer than 62 days since an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer was 21,118 in the week ending July 30, down slightly from 21,631 in the week ending June 25.

File photo dated 22/12/22 of ambulances outside Waterloo Ambulance Station, south London. Patients
The NHS is also approaching the busiest time of the year for staff (Picture: PA)

The figure was nearly 34,000 at the end of September 2022.

Most of the patients included in this total do not have cancer and are waiting for a diagnostic test, while around one in six do have cancer and are waiting for treatment.

The Government and NHS England set the ambition of returning this figure to pre-pandemic levels by March this year.

The average weekly figure for February 2020 (covering the four weeks to March 1) was 13,463.

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