Ministers have been urged to implement a clear recovery plan to bring down the country’s patient waiting lists that have ballooned to record-breaking levels as a result of disruption from the pandemic.
Labour has warned that thousands of people waiting for hospital treatment are at risk of permanent disability and losing their livelihoods and has demanded government action.
Some 387,885 patients in England are waiting more than a year for hospital treatment, according to NHS data. This has increased month-on-month since March of last year when the UK was first placed into lockdown.
A year ago, in February 2020, the number of people having to wait more than 52 weeks to start treatment stood at just 1,613.
In total, 4.7 million patients in England are waiting for some form of treatment or healthcare service – the highest figure since records began in August 2007.
Source: The Independent, 26 April 2021
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