Tackling the elective backlog – exploring the relationship between deprivation and waiting times (The King's Fund, 27 September 2021)

Summary

Long waiting times and growing waiting lists for hospital treatment have been a problem for some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue and waiting lists have grown rapidly. This analysis of waiting list data by The King's Fund shows a clear relationship between longer waiting lists and deprivation, with those living in the most deprived areas nearly twice as likely to wait more than a year for treatment compared to those living in the least deprived areas.