COVID-19: NHS waits at record high as second wave hits care

The Covid surge in January hit key services including cancer and routine surgery, NHS England figures show.

Less than half the expected number of operations were done, pushing the waiting list to a record-high of 4.6m. More than 300,000 of those have been waiting more than a year for treatment - compared to 1,600 before the pandemic began.

Surgeons described it as a dire situation which would take a long time to turnaround.

Tim Mitchell, of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: "Behind today's statistics are people waiting in limbo. Many will be in considerable pain, others will have restricted mobility and be at risk of isolation and loneliness."

"Dealing with this daunting backlog will take time, and also sustained investment in the NHS," he said.

Similar problems are also being seen in Scotland where 39,000 people have been waiting over a year for treatment.

The NHS Confederation has warned the true picture could be much worse with nearly 6 million fewer referrals made by GPs in England for routine treatments, which includes operations such as knee and hip replacements, last year, suggested there was an additional hidden backlog. The organisation, which represents hospitals, said it was likely people have not sought help or found it difficult to access services during the pandemic.

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Source: BBC News, 11 March 2021