NHS waiting lists fall, although patients facing longest waits rising
In March 2024, NHS waiting lists in England fell for the fourth consecutive month, according to new figures, although the number of people waiting longer than 18 months for treatment increased.
Cancer waiting times also remain well below target, the data shows, with charities calling for a long-term cancer strategy.
An estimated 7.58 million treatments relating to 6.32 million patients were waiting to be carried out at the end of January, down slightly from 7.60 million treatments at the end of December.
Those waiting more than 52 weeks to start treatment fell to 321,394 from 337,450 in December, with an ambition to eliminate all waits of more than a year by March 2025.
The Government and NHS England set the ambition of eliminating all waits of more than 18 months by April 2023.
Ministers have blamed waiting lists on ongoing industrial action in the NHS. Yes, this is a factor but a minor one. The waiting lists were rising sharply long before current actions (and long before COVID-19).
