"The 18-week target requires 92% of patients to wait less than that amount of time. It has not been hit for a decade. Waiting times ballooned during the pandemic as hospitals scaled back on the amount of routine care they were doing. When Labour came to power, there were 7.6 million patients on waiting lists for treatments such as knee and hip replacements with 58.8% waiting less than 18 weeks. Over the past year that has improved to 61.3%."
"An analysis by the Health Foundation shows, on current trends, waiting times will still be over 20 weeks by July 2029. The think-tank is warning the huge efforts being put into reducing waiting times also risks distracting from other priorities in the NHS, including improving access to GPs. But the government said it was pleased with the progress being made - and expected the pace of improvement to increase."
NHS waiting times in England remain far above the 18-week standard and have not met the target for a decade. Waiting lists expanded during the pandemic as hospitals reduced routine care. When Labour took office there were 7.6 million patients waiting for treatments, with 58.8% waiting under 18 weeks; that improved to 61.3% over the past year. Health Foundation modelling indicates waiting times will still exceed 20 weeks by July 2029 if current trends persist. Just over a third of trusts are making the required progress. Rising referrals, an ageing population and further industrial action could slow improvements.
Read at www.bbc.com
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