Long waits for patients resulting in worsening health outcomes

Commenting on the publication today of the NHS monthly performance statistics, Tim Gardner, Assistant Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said: 

‘Today’s data shows that patients continue to face long waits for hospital treatment, with many concerned about experiencing avoidable pain and the impact of delays on their health. 

‘In August, over 112,000 patients spent over 12 hours in A&E departments. The waiting list for routine operations reached 7.68 million in July, with almost 390,000 having waited longer than a year. 

‘The latest national inpatient experience survey published by the Care Quality Commission revealed that more patients felt they had to wait too long for routine treatment, with around four in 10 feeling their health worsened before being admitted. While most people are still positive about their interactions with NHS staff, plans for more industrial action by hospital doctors is set to bring further disruption to patient care. 

‘The backlog in hospital care is the result of a mix of factors including a decade of underinvestment in the NHS and other public services, a failure to address chronic staff shortages and the longstanding neglect of adult social care – all of which predate industrial action and the pandemic. There are no quick fixes, but if the government wants to see meaningful progress on reducing the waiting lists these issues must be addressed.’

Media contact

Emily Wilson
emily.wilson@health.org.uk 
020 7257 2061