Health service leaders are warning the NHS is buckling under pressure as the number of people on its waiting lists reaches its highest point since records began.
Data from NHS England shows that 5.8 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September.
More than 300,500 people were having to wait more than 52 weeks to start treatment, up from 292,138 in August.
Twice as many people were waiting in September compared to last year.
However, this does reflect the lower-than-usual figures for September 2020, when fewer hospital treatments were taking place during the height of the pandemic.
NHS England has told hospitals to eliminate all waits of more than two years by March 2022.
Now, the number of people admitted for routine treatment in hospital is returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Two-year wait
A total of 12,491 people in England were waiting more than two years to start routine hospital treatment at the end of September 2021. This is more than four times the 2,722 people who had spent more than 24 months waiting for treatment in April.
An NHS Confederation survey of more than 450 leaders across the health service found that nine out of 10 would describe the current situation as “unsustainable” and said that patient care is being compromised as a result.
Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation Matthew Taylor told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that the combination of Covid-19 patients, winter pressures and pent-up demand after periods of lockdown are contributing to the current situation.
“You put those three things together and you’ve got a situation which almost every leader in the health service now says is unsustainable.”
NHS England has told hospitals to eliminate all waits of more than two years by March 2022.
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineNHS waiting lists at record high amid ‘unsustainable’ pressure
Short HeadlineNHS waiting lists hit record high
StandfirstData from NHS England shows 5.8 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September.
Health service leaders are warning the NHS is buckling under pressure as the number of people on its waiting lists reaches its highest point since records began.
Data from NHS England shows that 5.8 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of September.
More than 300,500 people were having to wait more than 52 weeks to start treatment, up from 292,138 in August.
Twice as many people were waiting in September compared to last year.
However, this does reflect the lower-than-usual figures for September 2020, when fewer hospital treatments were taking place during the height of the pandemic.
NHS England has told hospitals to eliminate all waits of more than two years by March 2022.
Now, the number of people admitted for routine treatment in hospital is returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Two-year wait
A total of 12,491 people in England were waiting more than two years to start routine hospital treatment at the end of September 2021. This is more than four times the 2,722 people who had spent more than 24 months waiting for treatment in April.
An NHS Confederation survey of more than 450 leaders across the health service found that nine out of 10 would describe the current situation as “unsustainable” and said that patient care is being compromised as a result.
Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation Matthew Taylor told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that the combination of Covid-19 patients, winter pressures and pent-up demand after periods of lockdown are contributing to the current situation.
“You put those three things together and you’ve got a situation which almost every leader in the health service now says is unsustainable.”
NHS England has told hospitals to eliminate all waits of more than two years by March 2022.
A 2024 Freedom of Information request showed Bromley Council had £4.5 million invested in arms companies that year with £1.5 million reportedly linked to Israel.
Undercover officers raided three linked shops in Barking town centre, revealing how illicit tobacco is being hidden in walls, ceilings and nearby locations to evade detection.
More than 330,000 people across the UK sought support from the Stop It Now helpline in 2025 over concerns about their own or someone else’s online sexual behaviour towards children, according to new charity data. The anonymous service says contacts by phone, email and webchat rose significantly over the year.
