The latest figures show NHS England’s waiting list fell to fewer than 7.71 million people in the first month compared to the previous month this year.
Some 7.705 million procedures covering 6.44 million patients were expected to be carried out at the end of October, down from a record 7.747 million procedures and 6.50 million patients at the end of September, according to NHS England.
An estimated 10,506 people in England waited more than 18 months to start elective hospital treatment at the end of October, up from 10,201 at the end of September.
The Government and NHS England have set a target of eliminating waiting times in excess of 18 months by April this year, except for exceptionally complex cases or patients who choose to wait longer.
By the end of October, a total of 377,618 people in England had been waiting more than 52 weeks for elective hospital treatment, up from 391,122 at the end of September. The government has committed to eliminating all wait times of more than a year by March 2025.
The Prime Minister said the Government would be “closely monitoring” ambulance delays when asked about ongoing delays that were “putting patients at risk”.
Asked how serious ambulance delays would be, Rishi Sunak said: “We know winter is always a difficult time for the NHS and that is why this year, as Prime Minister, I ensured that we and the NHS The health service will start planning for winter.” than we’ve ever had. ever made.
“And along with an additional £1 billion of funding, this will cover things like expanding emergency departments, increasing the number of ambulances on the roads and necessary cuts, as well as the social care sector to ensure people can return to their homes as soon as possible faster”. in exchange for the native community. They are no longer in the hospital and we can free up their capacity to treat emergency patients.
“It all matters and we have seen significant improvements since last year, but we will of course be monitoring this closely and working closely with the NHS to ensure everyone gets the help they need.”
Some 69.7 patients in England were treated in emergency departments within four hours last month, up from 70.2 per cent in October.
In December 2022, this number reached a record low of 65.2 percent. The NHS recovery plan aims to admit, transfer or discharge 76 per cent of emergency department patients within four hours by March 2024.
The number of people who waited more than 12 hours in emergency departments in England to receive a decision on whether they would actually be admitted to hospital was 42,854 in November, down slightly from 44,655 in October. In December 2022, that number reached a record 54,573.
In contrast, the number of people waiting at least four hours for approval rose slightly, from 144,926 in October to 146,272 in November.
The latest figures come ahead of a new round of strikes by junior doctors in England. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said the strikes came at “virtually our worst time of year”.
he told BBC Radio 4 Today Program: “Of course we are very disappointed that negotiations broke down last week and more strikes were called, at almost our worst time of the year, just before and just after Christmas.”
“We are particularly concerned about the six-day strike that began in early January because it is obviously a very busy time for the NHS, the post-holiday period. “We know that infectious diseases are on the rise. We’re seeing a resurgence of Covid-19 again and I think we’re approaching the usual winter flu wave.
“So there is no doubt that these strikes will be difficult, but as always, we are working diligently with hospitals and community organizations to keep patients safe and ensure emergency services are available to everyone.” that and make sure you use our services wisely.
“My usual Christmas message is: don’t end up in A&E if you don’t intend to during the Christmas period. So think carefully, enjoy the holidays, but remember that our services will come under pressure.”
Professor Powis praised the “incredible” efforts of frontline staff to reduce the overall waiting list as progress was made after three days of strike action in early October.
Officials also said their “extensive” winter plans and NHS A&E recovery plan meant ambulance response times were faster in all categories in November, with the most serious category 1 calls at 8:32 seconds. almost 10 seconds faster than in October. with 8:40 seconds. Category 2 is almost three minutes faster at 38:30 minutes – down from 41:41 minutes in October.
The most serious calls occurred almost a minute faster than the same month last year (9 minutes 26 seconds), despite more people needing emergency help. The number of most serious incidents increased by 15 percent compared to the same month last year.
Robust NHS planning for the winter has begun earlier than ever before, including the nationwide rollout of medical traffic control centres, additional ambulances and beds, and the rapid expansion of a world-leading virtual ward program that helps patients avoid hospital visits. More patients coming to the hospital can be treated. people at home and in the community.
However, health unions noted that the backlog remains high and employee absenteeism and vacancies continue to pose problems.
Patricia Marquis, director of the Royal College of Nursing in England, said: “With more than one in 10 people on the NHS waiting list, there is still no place in residential care. NHS capacity is being strained, with patients being treated in corridors and cared for in ambulances. It is undignified, unsafe and behind the statistics are the patients who will suffer this Christmas.
“There are almost not enough managers. There are staff shortages on almost every shift and there are more than 40,000 vacancies for nurses in NHS England.
“The government has little time to change the situation before the next elections – this winter will be as difficult as the previous one.” Nurses cannot accept being forced to provide unsafe care, increased demands and low pay.”
The NHS also today announced that hundreds of new staff have joined the A&E department ahead of winter, with more emergency call handlers, paramedics and other ambulance staff set to be on site ahead of the busiest winter months yet.
Professor Powis said: “With overall elective care waiting lists falling, ambulance turnaround times faster than last month and the same time last year, and hundreds of new staff joining the A&E department ahead of winter, this is excellent progress “
“While the level of care our staff provide to patients is incredible, we know we continue to face a difficult winter on several fronts, with the number of patients in hospital with flu and norovirus increasing significantly each week and challenges continuing after discharge. . Patients are medically healthy due to a lack of social care options, and new labor disputes arise in the run-up to the Christmas holidays.
“Our staff will once again prioritize emergency and urgent care to protect patient safety and ensure that people in life-saving emergencies can receive the best care possible and the public can continue to play their part by using NHS services. as always by calling 999. in case of an emergency and using NHS 111 for other health concerns and getting a flu and Covid jab if needed.”
Today is the last day people can book flu and Covid-19 vaccinations online. After 15 December it will still be possible to book vaccinations through local NHS vaccination services such as pharmacies or public health units.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.