Impact of long NHS waits on patients revealed, plus who waits longest

People who wait longer for NHS treatment are significantly more likely to seek emergency care in the months after eventually receiving it, compared with those who are seen quickly.

People treated within 18 weeks of being on the waiting list made 18% fewer A&E visits per week in the three months following their treatment, compared to how often they visited A&E while waiting for treatment.

In contrast, people who waited over a year ended up making 31% more A&E visits in the three months following their care.

The Health Foundation, which carried out the research and shared the findings with the Sky News Data and Forensics Unit, say that the fact people need more emergency care after long waits for treatment "may indicate additional aftercare needs or decreased effectiveness of treatment following a longer wait".

They analysed detailed patient-level data that had previously not been available for research use.

It complements new NHS data published last week which revealed the make-up of the waiting list for the first time, in terms of the gender, age, ethnicity and deprivation status of the patients on it.

The Health Foundation explained that, as well as patients having to live with the "consequences of debilitating conditions for longer", long waits can also lead to "more complex, difficult and expensive treatment" being required.

They also "significantly increase consumption of pain relief medication". In some cases, while waiting, conditions for the patient become permanent and untreatable.

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Source: Sky News, 25 July 2025