NHS waiting lists won't fall to pre-pandemic levels for seven years

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

NHS waiting lists are only on course to reach pre-pandemic levels in June 2031, Liberal Democrat analysis of NHS figures released today has revealed.

The NHS waiting list has fallen by just 170,000 since its August 2023 peak of 7.75 million peak, an average of just 34,000 a month. In January, the latest figures show that it fell by just 28,000.

If the waiting list continues to fall at that rate, it will take until well beyond the end of the decade for waiting lists to reach their pre-pandemic level of 4.6 million.

Rishi Sunak has previously admitted that he has failed to deliver on his pledge to the British public to cut waiting lists.

Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson, Daisy Cooper MP said:

“Millions of patients across the country are being failed by Rishi Sunak and this Conservative government. Far too many are having to put up with pain and suffering every day as they endure endless waits just to get the treatment they deserve.

“Our NHS cannot take anymore of the Conservative Party. They have proven themselves completely unable to get patients the care they need in time and this Conservative government’s neglect of our health service is having devastating consequences. 

“The Liberal Democrats have put the NHS at the heart of our policies. People on waiting lists cannot be allowed to languish for a moment longer in unnecessary hardship because this Conservative government either does not get or does not care about the needs of patients.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Liberal Democrat analysis of NHS waiting lists can be found here.

NHS Source here.

NHS waiting lists fell by 169,870 in Sept 2023, Oct 2023, and Nov 2023, Dec 2023, and Jan 2024 from their Aug 2023 peak of 7,745,784. This means that over the months that waiting lists have been falling from this peak, there has been an average decline of 33,974 a month. If waiting lists continue to fall at that average rate, it will take until June 2031 for them to reach pre-pandemic levels.