Nearly 1.2million people left waiting at least SIX MONTHS for NHS treatment England, analysis shows amid warning some hospitals are busier than ever
- The 1.2million waiting by May is five times higher than pre-pandemic levels
- The worst-hit services were orthopaedics, eye and ear, nose and throat care
- NHS Providers boss Chris Hopson warned trusts are busiest they have ever been
Nearly 1.2million NHS patients have faced waits of at least six months for treatment due to the Covid backlog, analysis has revealed.
The figure, reflecting the English health service's position in May, is five times higher than pre-pandemic levels.
It highlights just how badly the virus has hit hospitals, which cancelled thousands of operations during the darkest days of the crisis to make room for the infected.
Joint replacements, eye treatment and brain surgery are among the procedures that have been hit by delays.
Under the NHS's own rulebook, all patients are supposed to start treatment within 18 weeks of being referred.
Updated figures on the NHS waiting list — which hit a record-high 5.3million in May — are due to be published tomorrow.
Ahead of the release, Chris Hopson, the boss of NHS Providers — which represents trusts — warned some hospitals are the 'busiest they have ever been'.
Figures released by NHS England last month show that the number of people waiting for hospital treatment hit another record high of 5.3million. This is 3.5 per cent higher than the 5.12million waiting at the end of May, which was the previous all time high
The pandemic forced hospitals to cancel thousands of operations during the darkest days of the crisis to make room for the infected, with 4,583 patients with Covid admitted in the peak of the second wave in June. The latest daily figures show 712 Covid-infected patients were admitted to hospital in the UK
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NHS data, analysed by the Guardian, revealed 210,000 patients waiting six months required trauma and orthopaedic services, such as hip and knee replacements.
And more than 130,000 were waiting for eye treatment, ear, nose and throat services and general surgery.
Nearly 90,000 people were waiting for gynaecological services — nearly double the figure for the same month last year and five times higher than May 2019.
The Nuffield Trust warned the backlog will take 'years' to clear.
Its deputy director of research, Dr Sarah Scobie, told the newspaper: 'We haven’t yet seen the peak of pent-up demand or the full impact of the multiple waves of this pandemic.
'Despite staff working flat out, overturning a backlog of this scale will take years.
'This will leave many people struggling with the day-to-day challenges of managing health conditions while waiting for essential treatment, risking storing up more urgent care needs for the near future.'
Mr Hopson said: 'Tomorrow's NHS performance statistics are expected to show that every part of the health service is under huge pressure, despite the lower levels of Covid hospital cases compared to predictions a month ago.
'Trust leaders are clear that, to measure the full extent of current pressure on the NHS, it's vital to look at the full range of demand and staffing pressures, not just the Covid caseload.'
The pressures include recovering care backlogs 'at full pelt', lower bed capacity due to infection control measures, staff self-isolating and more workers on holiday than normal due to the build-up of leave cancelled in the pandemic.
Mr Hopson said the demand for urgent and emergency care is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels in some trusts, especially those in 'holiday hotspots'.
He added that while recent hospital admissions due to Covid have been lower than predicted, it is still a 'significant pressure, particularly in hospitals with high bed occupancy for other reasons'.
Mr Hopson said the pressure on ambulance services is 'a particular concern'.
He said: 'What's particularly striking is how busy all parts of the NHS are – hospitals, community and mental health services, GPs and primary care.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies revealed modelled how long the waiting list for NHS care in England would be under different scenarios. Even in the best care scenario, the waiting list peaked at nine million in 2022 and did not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025. This scenario would involve just 70 per cent of patients who missed treatment during the pandemic coming forward and NHS capacity being 5 per cent higher in 2021 and 2020 compared to 2019 and 10 per cent higher from 2023 to 2025
'There is a particular concern about the unprecedented pressure on ambulance services, the fact that this has lasted for a number of weeks, and the impact this is having on both staff and patients.
'We now have some trust chief executives, particularly in the ambulance sector, telling us that this is now the busiest it has ever been.'
NHS data published last month revealed the overall number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment had risen to a record high.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid revealed he was 'shocked' when told waiting lists could even go as high as 13million.
But a report released on Sunday revealed figures could top that number and rise to 14million by next autumn and then continue rising.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) calculated the number of people coming forward for care could overtake the number being treated, if the millions of patients who put off seeking treatment during the pandemic come forward.
Its most optimistic modelling shows the number of people waiting for treatment in England would peak at nine million in 2022 and only return to pre-pandemic levels in 2025.
And under its most concerning scenario — if NHS capacity does not return to pre-pandemic levels by 2025 — the waiting list would hit 15million by 2025.
