Group items tagged

The NHS catch up plan to bring down the number of waiters in the diagnostic list has helped in witnessing a drop of 6,500 people waiting more than two years for elective treatment between February and March. While those waiting more than 78 weeks - a year and a half - dropped by 5,700 over the same period. According to latest month data published today (May 12) more than two million diagnostic tests were carried out - the highest total for March on record - and an increase of 217,000 on the previous month (Feb 2022). The data revealed that it was also the highest month on record for cancer referrals, with 253,796 people checked in March alone - an almost 40 per cent increase on the number of checks made in March 2020. Alongside this, almost 30,000 people started treatment for cancer (28,378) - the second highest number on record. This is second only to March 2020, with 28,881 people starting treatment.

Attempts to deal with record waiting lists for hospital treatment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are at risk of being derailed by a staffing crisis, which is being exacerbated by the Omicron wave, a cross-party lawmakers' report said on Thursday (January 6). The report entitled 'Clearing the backlog caused by the pandemic' calls for a broader national health and care recovery plan - one that would embrace A&E, mental health, GPs, community and social care. Hospitals are facing extreme pressure as they try to catch up on months of operations that have been delayed and suspended during the pandemic, as Covid-19 hospitalizations rise once more and self-isolation hits staffing levels. There is a record 5.8 million waiting list for elective care, the Health and Social Care Committee said, adding that a recent surge in the Omicron variant has pushed cases to record highs and intensified pre-existing issues.