LONDON: Newly released NHS performance data on December 14 reveals a significant reduction in the number of patients waiting for consultant-led hospital treatment in England, indicating a decrease of just over 41,000 referrals to treatment (RTT) pathways, bringing the total to 7.71 million by the end of October 2023.
The 7,705,539 RTT pathways account for various treatments, including gallbladder removals, hip replacements, and surgeries to remove cancerous tumors. While some patients are on multiple pathways, NHS England estimates the number of unique patients awaiting treatment to be approximately 6.5 million.
The report also highlights 107,433 pathways where patients waited more than 65 weeks to start planned treatment, a slight decrease from 108,990 in September 2023. The UK government aims to eliminate all waits exceeding 65 weeks by the end of March 2024.
Prof Fiona Myint, Senior Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, commented on the data, stating, "This small fall will be heartening to NHS staff who have been working incredibly hard to reduce waiting lists, all in extremely difficult circumstances." She acknowledged the challenges faced by hospitals, including high demand, staff shortages, and industrial action throughout the year.
However, Prof Myint expressed concerns about achieving the target to eliminate waits of over 65 weeks by March 2024. She emphasised the potential consequences for patients, stating, "This means more patients waiting longer in the sort of pain and discomfort that prevents them from doing day-to-day tasks or, in some cases, working."
As winter approaches, Prof Myint stressed the importance of prioritising staff wellbeing and retention in plans to address the rising backlog. She also called on the government to continue investing in surgical capacity to ensure the health service can efficiently see and treat patients in a timely manner.