NHS waiting lists longest for a decade

NHS waiting lists longest for a decade Waiting lists for routine NHS treatment such as hip and knee surgery are at their highest for a decade, official figures have shown.

An estimated four million people were waiting to be seen by a specialist at the end of June, the first time the figure has been exceeded since 2007.

Experts said the milestone marked a “symbolic” moment for the under-strain health service, as statistics revealed the number of people waiting more than 18 weeks for consultant-led treatment, which the NHS says should be the maximum time it takes to start treating them, has steadily increased. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Surgery waiting numbers highest in decade, says NHS England BBC News
• NHS crisis: Number of patients waiting for surgery tops 4m The Daily Telegraph
• Patients waiting for planned NHS hospital care top 4m for first time in a decade The Guardian