Almost 10 million people in England could be on NHS waiting list

Almost 10 million people across England could be waiting for an NHS appointment or treatment, 2 million more than previously estimated, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS survey of about 90,000 adults found that 21% of patients were waiting for a hospital appointment or to start receiving treatment on the NHS.

When extrapolated, this equates to 9.7 million people. In January, the waiting list stood at 7.6 million, according to official NHS statistics.

The survey found that the delays were most prominent among 16-24-year-olds, one in five of whom said they had experienced waiting times of more than a year.

Conducted in January and February, the survey was part of the annual winter coronavirus infection study of adults aged 16 and over.

The ONS said the survey was the first of its kind to assess the experiences of adults awaiting hospital appointments, tests or medical treatments. It said the data was experimental, based on self-reported data, and may differ from other statistics on waiting lists.

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Source: The Guardian, 3 April 2024