NHS waiting lists grow by 330,000 since Sunak pledged to cut them

Waiting lists have gone up by 330,000 since Rishi Sunak pledged to cut them in January last year.

NHS targets missed include:

• NHS waiting lists: NHS waiting lists stood at 7.54 million outstanding treatments in February 2024, up from 7.21 million in January 2023 when Rishi Sunak pledged to cut them. This is an increase of 330,000 (NHS England).
• 65 week waits: There were 75,000 65-weeks for treatment in February, despite a target to eliminate them by March 2024 (NHS England).
• A&E: 71.3% of patients were seen within 4 hours in all A&E in February, against a target of 76% (NHS England).
• Cancer: 63.9% of people treated began cancer treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral in February 2024, against a target of 85% (NHS England).

Earlier this week, Liberal Democrats revealed that 100,000 patients waited over 24 hours to be admitted to hospital at A&E last year. These appalling waits have increased tenfold since the last General Election (Hospital Trusts).

Behind each one of these figures is a story of someone waiting in pain, worried sick about getting the care they need. These numbers expose the reckless damage done by this Conservative government’s neglect of the NHS and care. We desperately need more hospital beds and a long-term solution to the social care crisis, to end these devastating A&E delays.

To add insult to injury, the Conservatives have cut NHS spending while millions of patients are suffering in pain on endless waiting lists.

Rishi Sunak is living in a parallel universe if he thinks our National Health Service is recovering. The Conservative Party and the Prime Minister are out of touch, out of ideas and deserve to be kicked out of office.