The number of people in England waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to a record high.
7.1 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September, according to new figures from NHS England.
This is up from 7 million in August, and is the highest number since records begain in August 2007.
A staggering 401,537 people have been waiting for more than 52 weeks to start their treatment, according to England’s September figures.
NHS medical director Sir Stephen Powis said: “There is no doubt October has been a challenging month for staff who are now facing a tripledemic of Covid, flu and record pressure on emergency services with more people attending A&E or requiring the most urgent ambulance callout than any other October.
“Pressure on emergency services remains high as a result of more than 13,000 beds taken up each day by people who no longer need to be in hospital.
“But staff have kept their foot on the accelerator to get the backlog down with 18-month waiters down by three-fifths on last year.”
Source: The Independent, 10 November 2022
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