One in five people on NHS backlog list in some areas

4 Dec 2023

EMBARGO: 22:30 Monday 4th December

Figures reveal stark postcode lottery with around 21% of people in worst hit areas stuck on the NHS waiting list
Lib Dems warn communities “grinding to a halt” due to soaring backlog of hospital treatment
Record 2.6 million are off work due to long-term sickness

The House of Commons Library analysis shows the number on waiting lists as a proportion of the local population. It uncovers a stark postcode lottery with some areas seeing more than three times the proportion on NHS waiting lists than others.

The Liberal Democrats said the “terrifying” figures show some communities are “grinding to a halt” under the pressure of growing NHS backlogs. The party has criticised the Conservative government for failing to prioritise the NHS in the recent Autumn Statement despite the huge economic impact of people unable to return to work because they are waiting for treatment.

Southend is the worst-hit area of the country with approximately 21% of the population on NHS waiting lists for hospital treatment. This is followed by Mid Essex (18%), West Sussex (17.7%, Castle Point and Rochford (17.5%) and Stockport (17.4%). In Berkshire West 6% of the population was on an NHS waiting list, less than a third than the proportion in Southend.

Separate ONS figures show that a record high 2.6 million people are inactive across the country are out of work due to long-term sickness, up from two million in 2019.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a plan to fix the crisis in the NHS and in care, including giving people a legal right to see their GP within seven days, increasing the Carer’s Minimum Wage to tackle soaring vacancies, and giving people a guarantee to begin cancer treatment within 62 days of being diagnosed.

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

“These figures are frankly terrifying, with some communities almost grinding to a halt due to soaring NHS waiting lists. People are being left waiting in pain for treatment and unable to work, but it seems Conservative ministers just don’t care.

“The Prime Minister promised to bring down the NHS backlog but it’s only got bigger. For the Conservatives, it’s just the latest in a long string of broken promises on the NHS, alongside broken promises to recruit 6,000 more GPs and build 40 new hospitals.

“People are fed up with this abject record of failure. The Health Secretary must explain to the public what is being done to tackle the NHS backlog which is causing untold suffering and huge economic damage.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

*Full figures from the House of Commons Library available here. The data provided was ‘patients waiting for hospital treatment at sub-ICB level’. NHS data shows around 6.5 million people are waiting for 7.8 million courses of elective hospital treatment in England. This means the number of patients on waiting lists at local level is likely to be slightly lower than the estimates given by the Commons Library.

Data on those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness is available here.